Year: 1977
Type: article
Abstract: Deficiency of argyrophilic neurones in the myenteric plexus as cause of intestinal obstruction Sir, In the November issue of the Archives (1976, 51, 837), Tanner and co-workers published their article on the distribution of argyrophilic neurones in the myenteric plexus in cases of functional intestinal obstruction.The data concerning autonomic nerve cells reported in this study are dependent upon the silver procedure and it is unfortunate that the authors have failed to state, other than in a legend, which method was used in their in- vestigation.Since the techniques which use silver salts to demonstrate autonomic nerves are prone to technical failure and are notorious in producing nonspecific staining of other tissue elements, such as collagen and elastic fibres, a detailed description of the methodology (and an indication of control techniques) must be pro- vided if the results reported by these workers are to be critically assessed.Concerning the functional implications which these workers have proposed for their findings, it would have been of value to have applied one of the relatively specific neurohistochemical techniques to the material at their disposal.The latter methods provide results whose functional implications are far more significant than those which can be derived using silver impregnation techniques alone.In our view, more evidence than that which is presented in this paper must be provided before the authors' claim of a deficiency of intramural neurones causing functional intestinal obstruction can be accepted.
Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood
Authors: M. S. Tanner, B. F. Smith, J. K. Lloyd
Language: English
Subfield: Gastroenterology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2080637542