Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026

An In-vitro Preparation of Isolated Enteric Neurons and Glia from the Myenteric Plexus of the Adult Mouse
Published on: August 7, 2013
Peptide-containing neurones connect the two ganglionated plexuses of the enteric nervous system
Abstract:
The enteric nervous system (ENS) of the mammalian gut consists principally of two ganglionated plexuses, the myenteric and submucous, which are embedded in the gut wall. Little is known about the anatomical and functional connections between the two plexuses and further clarification of their relationship is of central importance for the understanding of the ENS. In the present study we have approached this problem in a new way, using methods we have previously developed for maintaining the myenteric and submucous plexuses separately in vitro for several weeks. In an immunohistochemical study of these preparations and also of sections from normal and extrinsically denervated gut wall, we have found evidence for reciprocal projections between the myenteric and submucous plexuses, by nerve fibres containing two putative neurotransmitters, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and substance P (ref. 5) (see Fig. 1). Our observations were supported by radioimmunoassay of tissue extracts. These results suggest that one of the roles of these peptides in the gut is to coordinate the function of the two enteric plexuses.
Related Concept Videos
Autonomic Nervous System: Overview
Peripheral Nervous System: Ganglia and Nerves
Nerves
The nerve is a bundle of axons that serves as the communication highway in the PNS. Each nerve is ensheathed in a protective layer of connective tissue called the epineurium. This outermost layer safeguards the nerve and supports the...
Sympathetic Pathways: Sympathetic Chain Ganglia
Sympathetic Pathways: Collateral Ganglia and Adrenal Medulla
Collateral Ganglia
Sympathetic preganglionic axons reach the collateral ganglia along the route of splanchnic nerves. These nerves bypass the sympathetic trunk and communicate with sympathetic postganglionic neurons housed in the prevertebral ganglia. These ganglia supply the organs of the abdominopelvic cavity.
The greater splanchnic nerve, formed by the...
Cranial Part of Parasympathetic Division
The vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) alone accounts for approximately 75...
Nerve Supply of the GI Tract
The enteric nervous system consists of two major plexuses: the myenteric plexus (Auerbach's plexus) and the submucosal plexus (Meissner's plexus). These plexuses are located within the layers of the GI tract...

