LYMPHATIC NETWORK AND NERVE PLEXUS IN THE MYENTERIC LAYER OF THE MONKEY JEJUNUM - A TOPOGRAPHIC STUDY USING AN ENZYME-HISTOCHEMICAL METHOD

The topographic relationship between the lymphatic network and the ner ve plexus in the myenteric layer of the monkey jejunum was studied by an enzyme-histochemical method, Identification of the lymphatics was a chieved by a 5'-nucleotidase staining method, and the enteric neural c omponents mere visualized by acetylcholinesterase staining, A well-dev eloped lymphatic network and a dense nerve plexus mere demonstrated th roughout the mg enteric layer, Numerous segments of the initial lympha tics, with their blind endings at the apical parts, tended to gather t oward the ganglion and run along the primary nerve strands. Elements o f the tissue interstitium separated the lymphatics from the enteric ne rves. Nerve terminals mere often located closely beneath the endotheli um of the initial lymphatics and were exposed to the subendothelial ti ssue on the side facing the abluminal surface of the lymphatic endothe lium. These findings suggest that the lymph dow in the initial lymphat ics might be regulated by the enteric nervous system, and that the tra nsport of tissue fluid by the lymphatics might serve as a suitable mic roenvironment for the enteric nerves.