A study of the ultrastructure, vascularization, and innervation of the endolymphatic duct and sac of the rat has been performed by means of light- and electron-microscopic and immunocytochemical methods. Two different types of epithelial cells have been identified: the ribosome-rich cell and the mitochondria-rich cell. These two cell types make up the epithelium of the complete endolymphatic duct and sac, although differences in their quantitative distribution exist. The morphology of the ribosome-rich cells varies between the different parts of the endolymphatic duct and sac; the morphology of the mitochondria-rich cells remains constant. According to the epithelial composition, vascularization, and structural organization of the lamina propria, both duct and sac are subdivided into three different parts. A graphic reconstruction of the vascular network supplying the endolymphatic duct and sac shows that the vascular pattern varies among the different parts. In addition, the capillaries of the duct are of the continuous types, whereas those supplying the sac are of the fenestrated type. Nerve fibers do not occur within the epithelium of the endolymphatic duct and sac. A few nerve fibers regularly occur in the subepithelial compartment close to the blood vessels; these fibers have been demonstrated in whole-mount preparations by the application of the neuronal marker protein gene product 9.5. Single beaded fibers immunoreactive to substance P and calcitonin-gene related peptide are observed within the same compartment. Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase-immunoreactive axons are restricted to the walls of arterioles. Morphological differences between the different portions of the endolymphatic duct and sac are discussed with regard to possible roles in fluid absorption and immunocompetence.
Orbital cellulitis following sub-Tenon's anaesthesia H Dahlmann et al
200Eye TGF-, which are known to induce expression of ␣E7 on IELs. 9 This may be another reason why IELs are present throughout all the layers of the dysplastic epithelium but only along the basal cells of normal conjunctival epithelium.We did not notice any definite relationship between the degree of dysplasia and E-cadherin expression. These findings contrast to observations made with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia where reduced Ecadherin expression related to an increasing loss of cell differentiation. 10 The observations made in this study with regard to E-cadherin suggest that the distribution of IELs in normal conjunctiva and CIN cannot be explained by the distribution of E-cadherin alone.
The distribution and immunocytochemical characterization of nerve fibers and their terminals in the posterior longitudinal ligament of the rat lumbar vertebral column was studied in whole-mount preparations and serial semithin and ultrathin sections. Differences in the localization, distribution pattern and density of peptidergic and catecholaminergic nerve fibers were found in the vertebral and intervertebral regions of the posterior longitudinal ligament. For immunocytochemistry, free floating specimens were incubated with primary antibodies against protein gene product 9.5, substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and neuropeptide Y together with the avidin-biotin-peroxidase method. In whole-mount preparations, the neural marker protein gene product 9.5 is immunostained in all unmyelinated nerve fibers in the posterior longitudinal ligament, thus giving a panoramic view of the nerve fiber plexus. The most striking nerve fiber plexus is localized in the intervertebral region. In this region, the posterior longitudinal ligament is rich in capillaries that form a dense plexus within its ventral part and extend to the outer layer of the annulus fibrosus. The peptidergic and catecholaminergic innervation of the posterior longitudinal ligament is discussed in the context of pain syndromes related to the vertebral column and degenerative lumbar spine diseases.
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