Morfologia do plexo mientérico do ceco de gatos (fellis domesticus), revelado através de NADPH-d: aspectos descritivos e morfométricos

Abstract

There are many feline intestinal transit disorders. At preset they could not be attributed to enteric nervous system (ENS) disorders. In this report it will be described quantitative, morphologic and morphometric aspects from the structural organization and spatial arrangement of the feline enteric nervous system. We use whole mount preparation stained by NADPH-diaforase. Caecum from four felines (2-10 weeks-old) was divided in apical and basal regions from mesenteric and antimesenteric side. Mioenteric plexus was constituted by ganglia interconnected with fiber bundles. Ganglia are single or in aggregates with morphologic variations according their localization. At mesenteric side were large, close and irregular ganglia connected by first, second and third order fiber bundles and aggregate fibers. Mioenteric plexus at apical region was circular and parallel to the muscular circular layer and was distributed in 3 distinct networks classified as: primary, secondary and terciary plexus. Primary plexus connects ganglia and fiber bundles from variable sizes and thickness. They were between secondary and tertiary plexus. Secondary plexus presents small ganglia distributed longitudinally. Tertiary plexus had no ganglia and fiber bundles were parallel to muscular fibers. Ganglia area measurements reveals areas from 1,92mm2 for small, 913,65mm2 for the larger. 90,65% were small, 7,76% were medium and 1,59% were big ones. Ganglia occupy 61,92% of the mesenteric side. Fiber bundles measure 2 and 180µm and according this measures, were classified as first, second and third order as their wide. Second order fiber bundles predominate at all regions of the caecum. There were a average of 152,5 agregate fibers/caecum, it means 0,54 per ganglia, mostly at basal region. It is possible to conclude that the spatial organization its not homogeneous. There are regional differences in ganglia and fiber bundles distribution. This are expressed mostly at mesenteric base side. Ganglionar concentration and densities varied according animal ages. All data were presented in two reports: 1) morphologic aspects and 2) morphometric aspects of the mioenteric feline plexus.