Ochiai T, Suzuki H
J Invest Dermatol. 1981 Dec;77(6):437-43. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12495677.
The morphological and morphometric changes of the Merkel cells during fetal and postnatal development were studied in the glabrous digital pads of rats. In 20-day-old fetus rats, the Merkel cells we observed were present in the lower spinous and basal layers, and not associated with axon terminals. The Merkel cell granules were few and sparse. The Merkel cell had clumps of fibrils and formed many desmosomes with surrounding keratinocytes. In postnatal rats, innervation was followed by an increase in the number of Merkel cell granules, and their specific accumulation. The fibrils of the Merkel cells were not prominent. It was found by t-test that the numerical density of the Merkel cell granules significantly increased from the fetal stage to 4-day-old postnatal rats. These results suggest that the Merkel cells are present in the epidermis without nerve contact in 20-day-old fetus rats, and that innervation is necessary for the increase of cellular activity in Merkel cells.
在大鼠无毛指垫中研究了默克尔细胞在胎儿期和出生后发育过程中的形态学和形态计量学变化。在20日龄的胎鼠中，我们观察到的默克尔细胞存在于棘层下部和基底层，且不与轴突终末相关。默克尔细胞颗粒少且稀疏。默克尔细胞有原纤维团块，并与周围角质形成细胞形成许多桥粒。在出生后的大鼠中，神经支配后默克尔细胞颗粒数量增加，并出现特异性聚集。默克尔细胞的原纤维不明显。通过t检验发现，从胎儿期到出生后4日龄的大鼠，默克尔细胞颗粒的数量密度显著增加。这些结果表明，20日龄的胎鼠表皮中存在未与神经接触的默克尔细胞，并且神经支配对于默克尔细胞的细胞活性增加是必要的。
