Nerve cell density in submucous plexus throughout the gut of cat and opossum

Abstract

Quantitative differences in submucous plexus density were sought in cat and opossum gut by examining full-thickness whole mounts of the submucosa stained with silver, and counting ganglia per square centimeter and nerve cell bodies per ganglion in order to compute density of innervation (nerve cell bodies per square centimeter). In the cat, the nerve cell bodies per square centimeter in the 12 named regions were as follows: proximal esophagus, 0; midesophagus, 0; distal esophagus, 0; fundus, 84; gastric antrum, 18; duodenum, 5831; jejunum, 4632; ileum, 3191; proximal colon, 1275; midcolon, 689; distal colon, 359; rectum, 144. In the opossum, values were as follows: proximal esophagus, 37; midesophagus, 52; distal esophagus, 84; duodenum, 1812; jejunum, 2234; ileum, 1488; proximal colon, 206; midcolon, 197; distal colon, 121; rectum, 61. Adequate specimens could not be obtained from opossum stomach. Differences were due more to variations in distribution density of ganglia than in ganglionic size. The relatively dense submucous plexus of the intestine probably is related to the capacity of the intestinal mucosa for peptide secretion as well as to its absorptive function.