The topography, architecture and structure of the enteric nervous system in the jejunum and ileum of cattle

To date, there appear to have been no detailed and clear descriptions of th e nerve plexuses and their subdivisions in the intestine of cattle. In this study, the enteric nervous system in the jejunum and ileum of 12 1-y-old c alves was examined using neurofilament protein and vasoactive intestinal pe ptide immunohistochemistry in wholemounts and paraffin sections combined wi th staining of paraffin and historesin sections with haematoxylin and eosin . The main organisation of the plexuses was similar to that of the pig, hor se and man with external and internal submucous plexuses being morphologica lly distinct, with further subdivisions of the internal submucous plexus in to the external and internal subplexuses. However, in contrast to pig, hors e and man, the submucous layer was firmly attached to the inner circular mu scle layer. The myenteric plexus was well developed with large ganglia, and primary and secondary nerve strands. Its main axis was oriented parallel t o the outer longitudinal smooth muscle; large ganglia and primary nerve str ands fused to form complex ganglia, and 2 types of tertiary nerve strands w ere observed. Antibodies to neurofilament proteins and vasoactive intestina l peptide revealed adendritic, pseudouniaxonal or multiaxonal type II neuro ns only in the myenteric and submucous plexuses. This appears to be the fir st report of the identification of isolated uniaxonal, multidendritic type IV neurons in the mucous pericryptal plexus. The new information presented here provides further evidence for the existence of anatomical and function al differences between the external and internal submucous plexuses and for supporting the nomenclature proposed earlier.