Summary
The stomach and small intestine of seven species of teleost fish were examined with both fluorescence and ultrastructural histochemical techniques for demonstrating monoamines. Fluorescence histochemistry demonstrated large numbers of yellow fluorescent neurons in the myenteric plexus of the intestine, but not the stomach, of four species. Varicose fibres arising from these neurons ran in the myenteric plexus, circular muscle layer and submucosa.
Ultrastructural histochemistry of tissue fixed with a modified chromaffin reaction showed that some neurons in the myenteric plexus contained biogenic amines in vesicles of 40–100 nm diameter. It is concluded that 5-HT-containing neurons are present in the intestine of some teleost species.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ajelis V, Björklund A, Falck B, Lindvall O, Lorén I, Walles B (1979) Application of the aluminium-formaldehyde (ALFA) histofluorescence method for demonstration of peripheral stores of catecholamines and indolamines in freeze-dried paraffin-embedded tissue, cryostat sections and whole-mounts. Histochemistry 65:1–15
Baumgarten HG (1967) Vorkommen und Verteilung adrenerger Nervenfasern im Darm der Schleie (Tinea vulgaris). Z Zellforsch 76:248–259
Baumgarten HG, Björklund A, Lachenmayer L, Nobin A, Rosengren E (1973) Evidence for the existence of serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline-containing neurones in the gut of Lampetra fluviatilis. Z Zellforsch 141:33–54
Campbell G, Gannon BJ (1976) The splanchnic nerve supply to the stomach of the trout, Salmo trutta and Salmo gairdneri. Comp Biochem Physiol 55C:51–53
Costa M, Furness JB, Cuello AC, Verhofstad AAJ, Steinbusch HWJ, Elde RP (1982) Neurons with 5-hydroxytryptamine-like immunoreactivity in the enteric nervous system: their visualization and reactions to drug treatment. Neurosci 7:351–363
Epstein ML, Sherman D, Gershon MD (1980) Development of serotonergic neurons in the chick duodenum. Dev Biol 77:22–40
Falck B, Hillarp N-Å, Thieme G, Torp A (1962) Fluorescence of catecholamines and related compounds condensed with formaldehyde. J Histochem Cytochem 10:348–354
Fange R, Grove D (1979) Digestion. In: Hoar WS, Randall DJ, Brett JR (eds) Fish physiology Vol VIII, Academic Press, New York, London
Gershon MD (1982) Serotonergic transmission in the gut. Scand J Gastroenterol 71 Suppl 17:27–42
Gershon MD, Altman RF (1971) An analysis of the uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine by the myenteric plexus of the small intestine of the guinea-pig. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 179:29–41
Gibbins IL, Haller CJ (1979) Ultrastructural identification of non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic nerves in the rat anococcygeus muscle. Cell Tissue Res 200:257–271
Goodrich JT, Bernd P, Sherman D, Gershon MD (1980) Phylogeny of serotonergic neurons. J Comp Neurol 190:15–28
Grove DJ, Campbell G (1979) The role of extrinsic and intrinsic nerves in the co-ordination of gut motility in the stomachless flatfish Rhombosolea tapirina and Ammotretis rostrata Guenther. Comp Biochem Physiol 63C: 143–159
Holmgren S, Nilsson S (1976) Effects of denervation, 6-hydroxydopamine and reserpine on the cholinergic and adrenergic responses of the spleen of the cod, Gadus morhua. Eur J Pharmacol 39:53–59
Honma S (1970) Presence of monoaminergic neurons in the spinal cord and intestine of the lamprey. Arch Histol Jpn 32:383–393
Nilsson S (1976) Fluorescent histochemistry and cholinesterase staining of sympathetic ganglia in a teleost, Gadus morhua. Acta Zool (Stockh) 57:59–77
Read JB, Burnstock G (1968) Comparative histochemical studies of adrenergic nerves in the enteric plexuses of vertebrate large intestine. Comp Biochem Physiol 27:505–517
Saito K (1973) Nervous control of intestinal motility in goldfish. Jp J Smooth Musc Res 9:79–86
Tranzer JP, Richards JG (1976) Ultrastructural cytochemistry of biogenic amines in nervous tissue: methodological improvements. J Histochem Cytochem 24:1178–1193
Watson AHD (1979) Fluorescent histochemistry of the teleost gut: evidence for the presence of serotonergic neurones. Cell Tissue Res 197:155–164
Watson AHD (1980) The structure of the coeliac ganglion of a teleost fish Myoxocephalus scorpius. Cell Tissue Res 210:155–165
Wolf K (1963) Physiological salines for freshwater teleosts. Progr Fish Cult 25:135–140
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Anderson, C. Evidence for 5-HT-containing intrinsic neurons in the teleost intestine. Cell Tissue Res. 230, 377–386 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213811
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213811