Abstract:

【Objective】 The objective of the experiment is to detect the morphological feature, fine structure of nerve tract and blood-nerve barrier of the intestinal nerve of Remak (INR). 【Method】 INR of chicken was examined by the transmission electron microscopy. 【Result】Results showed that INR was divided by the perineurium into many nerve tracts. Unmyelinated nerve fibers dominated in number in each nerve tract although there were both myelinated and unmyevinated nerve fibers there. Schwann’s cells were related to the development and structure of the two fiber types. Each nerve tract was surrounded by the perineural cell with long and thin processus. The rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrion and Golgi complex were developed and the euchromatin was dominated in the nucleus with a conspicuous nucleolus in the perineural cell, which indicated that the perineural cell engaged in active protein synthesis and secretion. Although the ENS in intestinal wall lacks blood-nerve barrier, there were the barriers in the INR, which consisted of tight capillary and surrounding layers of the perineural cells. Pinocytotic vesicles developed on surface of the perineural cell, whereas special cell junctions between the cells were not seen, which suggested that the blood-nerve barrier of the INR in chickens was not closer than that of peripheral nerve system in mammals. 【Conclusion】 All the results above revealed that the cytological natures of the INR in the chicken were special, which is different from either the ENS in the intestinal wall or the peripheral nerve.

Key words: chicken, intestinal nerve of Remak (INR), nerve tract, blood-nerve barrier, ultrastructure