NEURON DENSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF NADPH-DIAPHORASE POSITIVE NEURONS IN THE HUMAN STOMACH

Neuron density and distribution of the NADPH-diaphorase positive neuro ns were studied in the fundus, corpus and antrum of adult human stomac h using cresyl violet staining and NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry. Th e submucous plexus contained significantly less neurons than the myent eric plexus. Submucous NADPH-d positive neurons were mostly located in ganglia close to the circular muscle layer. Myenteric NADPH-d positiv e neurons represented 50-60% of the neurons in all the three regions; their density, however, was significantly lower in the fundus. NADPH-d positive fibers formed a rich plexus in the innermost portion of the circular muscle layer of the corpus. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.