Whilst embedded within the gut wall the inaccessibility of the enteric nervous system (ENS) is a major drawback for the establishment of an in vitro model for the @entity1 ENS. Using a method which combines collagenase digestion, mechanical agitation and manual dissection it was possible to dissect myenteric plexus from @entity1 colon of @entity1 at all ages, from newborn to old-age. While complex networks of @entity21 and their interconnecting strands could be isolated from newborn gut, the adult tissue allowed only single or small groups of @entity21 to be dissected coherently. Pieces of plexus were cultivated on glass coverslips or on plastic sheets respectively. Explants from newborn or older @entity1 displayed different growth patterns. The cytological behaviour of the newborn explants is characterized by an intensive neurite outgrowth. After 1 to 2 days in culture, glial cells start to leave the explant while proliferating and forming a dense cellular carpet. The axons appear partly arranged in bundles, expanding above the glial carpet. Single neurites can leave the carpet and attach directly on the substrate. Semithin sections and EM studies reveal the existence of numerous neurons within the @entity21 . The characteristic dense arrangement of neurons, glial cells and neuropil of the myenteric @entity21 in vivo was only partly conserved in newborns while in cultured adult @entity21 the cells were sparsely scattered throughout the explant with large clefts between the single cells. The @entity21 of the adults do not show any considerable neurite outgrowth, which correlates with the low amount of neurons within the @entity21 . The migratory behaviour of the adult glial cells is rather moderate, also the proliferation rate compared to the newborn cultures. In general single cells leave the explant without forming an glial carpet as seen in the newborn cultures. The described method delivers an in vitro paradigm for the study of @entity1 myenteric plexus. It underlines the differences in growth pattern, neurite outgrowth and glial proliferation from newborn and older @entity1 , as well as from adult @entity1 , thus establishing a base line for future studies.

XXXX newborn and adult myenteric plexus grows in different patterns.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['children', 'human', 'patients'] @entity21 :: ('MESH:D001480', 'Disease') :: ['ganglia']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['Human']
