ELECTRON MICRSCOPICAL STUDIES ON THE NORMAL AND EXPERIMENTALLY DILATED ESOPHAGEAL MUCOSA OF THE RABIT

Abstract

Electron microscopical studies of esophgus dil-ated experimentally by administration of D.F.P. and vagotomy were made in rabitts as compared with normal, and the following results were obtaind.
1) The epithelial cell of the normal esophageal mucosa is the most interest.
There are no special cell organoids, except small and round mitochondoria, Golgi-complex, and small numbers of vesicles which seem to be pyno-cytosis in the cytoplasm of this cell. Particulary, free microsomes and granular reticulum are not observed.
The cytoplasm is fulled with amorphous, hom-genous and slightly electron stained matrix.
2) The all surfaces of the epithelial cell are undulated and the free surface is like microvilli.
It is presumed that these undulations have two functions such as passage way and mechanical dila-tion by deglutition and have no relation with a function widening absorbable surface of the genuine microvilli.
3) The elementary substance of connective tissue and collagen fibril which are not recognized by using optical microscope are found in some spaces between both epithelial cells. They are called "ultrafein papilla".
The consituent of the connective tissue of the ultra fein papilla is originated from the papilla of the proprium layer of the mucosa. This ultra fine papilla is one form indicating mechanical dilation.
4) The common features of the experimental esophageal dilation which was made by administr-ation of D.F.P. and vagotomy are remakable in the tunica muscularis. Myofibrils are slender and the space of each myofibril, is widened. And breaking, trans formation, and vanishing of the mitochondoria are recognized. on the other hand decreasing of the numbers and vanishing of the glycogen granulas are noticed.
These changes are as same as in the ultra fine structure which are found in the muscular atrophy.
5) There are some differences between both functional mechanisms of D.F.P. and vagotomy.
The changes of the mitochondoria in the cases of medication of D.F.P. and those of the myofibril in the case of vagotomy are remarkable in the electron microscopic study. As for these findings, careful cosideration was paid to solve the causes of these differnces.