Summary
Merkel cells were found in the dermis closely associated with non-myelinated axons in human adult hairy skin. They were enclosed in a neural corpuscle formed by Schwann cells, myelinated and non-myelinated axons, and surrounded by flattened laminar cells. The neural corpuscle was attached to the basal lamina of the hair external root sheath.
Additionally, Merkel cells were found in the outermost cell layer of the follicular epithelium, not covered by the neural corpuscle. They were in close contact with a surrounding axonal network, forming epithelio-neural junctions.
In conclusion, this study confirms the significance of the Merkel cells as an important neuroreceptor cell enabled to register and to transform peripheral stimuli into axonal impulses from the dermis, the epidermis and the follicular epithelium as well.
Zusammenfassung
Diese Untersuchung zeigt das Vorkommendermaler Merkel-Zellen in der behaarten Haut des Erwachsenen. Die dermalen Merkel-Zellen sind assoziiert mit nicht myelinisierten Axonen und bilden Merkelzell-axonale Komplexe. Diese sind eingeschlossen in einem von schmalen Hüllzellen umschlossenen Nervenkörperchen, welches neben den nicht myelinisierten Axonen auch myelinisierte Axone und Schwann-Zellen enthält. Das Nervenkörperchen liegt dicht an der äußeren Wurzelscheide des Haarfollikels.
Darüber hinaus finden sich außerhalb des NervenkörperchensMerkel-Zellen auch im Follikelepithel, die mit dem dermalen Nervengeflecht epithelio-neurale Verbindungen bilden.
Unsere Untersuchungen belegen, daß Merkel-Zellen nicht nur in der Epidermis, sondern auch in der Dermis und im Follikelepithel vorkommen. Sie stellen offenbar diespezialisierten Neuroreceptorzellen der Haut dar, die in der Lage sind, periphere Reize zu registrieren und in axonale Impulse umzusetzen.
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Mahrle, G., Orfanos, C.E. Merkel cells as human cutaneous neuroreceptor cells. Arch. Derm. Forsch. 251, 19–26 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00561706
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00561706