Mucosal peptidergic innervation of the opossum esophagus and anal canal: a comparison with snout skin.

Nerves within and under the esophageal epithelium of the opossum esophagus were investigated morphologically with osmication and immunohistochemically for ten neuropeptides. The structurally similar but functionally diverse epithelia of the anal canal and snout skin, on which no immunohistochemical information exists, were similarly investigated for comparison. Total innervation was estimated from osmication, which revealed intraepithelial nerves in all three tissues in the following order of density: snout skin greater than anal canal greater than esophagus. Calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P occurred in all three organs. The snout skin had intraepithelial galanin nerves but not vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, while conversely the esophagus and anal canal had vasoactive intestinal polypeptide but not galanin. All peptides found intraepithelially also occurred subepithelially. Calcitonin gene-related peptide, galanin, neuropeptide Y, substance P and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide subepithelial nerves occurred in all the tissues, while gastrin releasing peptide nerves occurred infrequently in the subepithelial regions of the esophagus and anal canal, but not the snout skin. As these epithelia neither secrete nor absorb, their nerves are presumably sensory. The peptides investigated could not account for all intraepithelial nerves demonstrated by osmium. Differences in the innervation of these epithelia may result from their differing sensory requirements.