Size of neurons and glial cells in the enteric ganglia of mice, guinea-pigs, rabbits and sheep

Abstract

A quantitative light microscopic study has been carried out on the myenteric and submucosal ganglia of the stomach, duodenum, ileum, proximal colon and rectum of the guinea-pig; the enteric ganglia of the ileum were studied also in the mouse, rabbit and sheep. The area of the profiles of nerve cells, of nerve cell nuclei and of glial nuclei, and the proportion of the area of ganglia occupied by neuropil were measured, and the relative numbers of neurons and glial cells were estimated. The myenteric ganglia were found to be firmly anchored to the stroma of the muscle coat; their shape and the shape of their component cells varied with contraction and distension of the musculature. The range of neuronal sizes in the myenteric ganglia was extremely wide. In the guinea-pig, the myenteric neurons were on average largest in the stomach and duodenum and smallest in the ileum, with intermediate values in the colon and rectum; the submucosal neurons showed little variation in average size along the length of the gut. The average size of ganglion neurons in the ileum was greatest in the sheep and smallest in the mouse, and had intermediate values in the guinea-pig and rabbit. The percentage volume of neuropil in the myenteric ganglia was 51% in the mouse, 65% in the guinea-pig, 70% in the rabbit, and 74% in the sheep. The number of glial cells relative to the number of neurons was also ranked in the same order. In all the species examined the submucosal ganglia, when compared with the corresponding myenteric ganglia, had a smaller percentage volume of neuropil, a much smaller number of glial cells and (except in the mouse ileum) neurons of smaller average size. In all the ganglia there was a positive correlation between size of neurons and size of glial cells. The results are discussed in the light of possible relations between body size (and length of the intestine), numerical density of ganglion neurons, average size of neurons, amount of musculature, average distance between neurons, and amount of neuropil.