title: Nerve endings in the vermilion border and mucosal areas of the rat lip.
abstract: Organized mechanoreceptors in mucosae and vermilion borders of rat lower lips were studied by light and electron microscopy. Cholinesterase histochemistry was applied to whole-mount preparations of mucosae for the light and electron microscopic identification of mechanoreceptors. Three types of lamellated corpuscles (a simple corpuscle; a coiled, simple corpuscle; and a Meissner-like corpuscle), and a unique, organized, bush-like assembly of free nerve terminals were identified. The simple corpuscles were found exclusively in the vestibular mucosa facing the incisor teeth. In contrast, bush-like endings were confined to the vestibular mucosa and to the lateral, eminent mucosa that faced the diastema. Furthermore, coiled simple corpuscles and Meissner-like corpuscles were localized in the boundary zone between the vestibular and lateral eminent mucosae and in the vermilion border. From a functional viewpoint, it is of interest that different areas of the rat lip contain different morphological patterns of mechanoreceptors.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000032:analysis; D008046:Lip / Q000166:cytology / Q000294:innervation*; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000294:innervation* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D002802:Cholinesterases