Three distinct classes of myenteric ganglia in mice and humans: insights from quantitative analyses

Background: The myenteric plexus primarily consists of the myenteric ganglia, which include enteric neurons, synaptic neuropils, and glial cells. Abnormal myenteric plexus formation can result in gastrointestinal disorders. Comprehensive morphological classification studies of myenteric ganglia remain limited.

Methods: Whole-mount immunofluorescence staining was used to label myenteric ganglia in colon tissue of mice and children. The ganglionic area and the number of intraganglion neurons were quantified by the K-means clustering algorithm. The guts of embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5) mouse were cultured and immunostained to observe the characteristics of developing myenteric ganglia.

Results: Myenteric ganglia can be categorized into three groups in the colon tissues of mice and normal children. A similar classification was observed for Tuj1-positive neuronal cell clusters in the midgut of E11.5 mouse. Culture of the E11.5 mouse midgut revealed that the area of post-cultured clusters of developing neurons also fell into three distinct categories, with a noticeable increase compared to pre-culture.

Conclusions: The myenteric ganglia in mice and humans can be categorized into three groups based on both the ganglionic area and intraganglion neuron count, and distinct classes of myenteric ganglia may be present during early development.

Enteric ganglion; Enteric nervous system; Intestinal development; K-means clustering algorithm; Morphological classification; Myenteric plexus.