THE CELLULAR NETWORK OF INTERSTITIAL-CELLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEEP MUSCULAR PLEXUS OF THE GUINEA-PIG SMALL-INTESTINE

Systematic examination using electron microscopic montages and serial sections has demonstrated that three types of interstitial cell, namely gap junction-rich cells, glycogcn-rich cells and fibroblast-like cells, are densely located along the whole extent of the deep muscular plexus of the guinea pig small intestine. They tend to be distributed in an alternating fashion in the cellular network, connected with muscle cells of the outer, circular layer by means of gap junctions. These three types of interstitial cell show close relations to two types of nerve varicosity: one type is characterized by clear round vesicles with diameters of about 50 nm, and the other by flattened vesicles measuring about 35 nm by 70 nm. Electron-dense patches have been observed at the cytoplasmic side of the axonal membranes. Muscle cells of both inner and outer circular layers also show close relations to these two types of nerve varicosity. These morphological features are discussed with the implication that they may have some regulatory role in intestinal movement.