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Updated: Sep 23, 2026

A Quantitative Cell Migration Assay for Murine Enteric Neural Progenitors
Published on: September 18, 2013
Anatomical relationship between enkephalin-containing neurones and caecum-projecting neurones in the chicken
1Laboratory of Animal Morphology and Function, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan. ohmori@agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
The anatomical relationship between enkephalin-immunoreactive neurones and caecum-projecting neurones in the intestinal nerve of Remak (INR) of the chicken was investigated using retrograde transport of cholera toxin subunit B and immunohistochemistry with anti-enkephalin serum. After injection of cholera toxin into the base or body of the caecum, labelled neurones were mainly observed in the cranial part of the rectal INR. Enkephalin-immunoreactive neuronal cell bodies were found in the caudal part of the rectal INR and their fibres closely surrounded caecum-projecting neurones in the cranial part of the rectal INR. Diameters of caecum-projecting neurones surrounded with enkephalin-containing terminals were significantly larger than those of caecum- projecting neurones without enkephalin-terminals (P < 0.01). From these results, it is suggested that enkephalin-containing neurones are able to affect large-sized caecum-projecting neurones. This pathway may be involved with unique motility of the rectum and caeca that uric acid is retrogradely carried from the cloaca to the caeca.
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