肠神经胶质细胞形态学研究方法进展

Advances in morphologic study of enteric glial cells

肠神经胶质细胞(enteric glial cells, EGCs)是肠神经系统的重要组成部分,其数量约是肠神经元数量的4倍.在形态和功能上与中枢神经系统的星形胶质细胞相似.在营养、支持肠神经、维持胃肠道稳态、调节胃肠道功能等方面发挥着重要作用.由于其在肠道中发挥的作用复杂而多样,成为研究的焦点.对其形态学的观察和研究是非常重要的.EGCs发现至今,针对其发挥功能的作用机制已得到深入研究,相应的研究方法也在不断的进步与改进中.本文主要介绍EGCs在胃肠道生理及病理状态下形态学特点及目前形态学研究方法,以期对未来研究EGCs提供实验方法的借鉴及参考意义,推进这一领域的发展.

As an important part of the intestinal nervous system,enteric glial cells are about four times as many as intestinal neurons.Furthermore,a large population of astrocyte-like glial cells populate gut muscle layers and the intestinal mucosa,and mounting new evidence points toward enteric glial cells as an active participant in gut pathology.They are similar in morphology and function to the astrocytes of the central nervous system and play an important role in nutrition,supporting gastrointestinal nerve,maintaining gastrointestinal homeostasis,and regulating gastrointestinal function.Because of their complex and diverse roles in the intestinal tract,they have become the focus of research.As the study of their functional mechanism has been extensively deepened,the research methods for intestinal glial cells are also on constant progress and improvement,especially in studying their morphology.This paper mainly introduces the morphological characteristics of enteric glial cells under the conditions of gastrointestinal physiology and pathology,so as to provide a reference for the future study of enteric glial cells and promote the development of this field.