Tachibana T, Nawa T
J Anat. 1980 Aug;131(Pt 1):145-55.
To clarify the relation between the so-called 'transitional' cell and the Merkel cell, the frequency of these cells in the labial mucosal epithelium was compared between infant, juvenile and adult rabbits. The transitional cell was observed in serial ultrathin sections. Transitional cells were most numerous in the infant and juvenile, while the definitive Merkel cell showed a reciprocal increase in number. In the infant and juvenile, the transitional cells differed slightly from each other in their ultrastructure: some resembled immature keratinocytes, others resembled definitive Merkel cells. All transitional cells contained the Merkel cell granules and the intranuclear rodlet. It was interpreted that the Merkel cell in the labial mucous epithelium develops from the transitional cell. Neither definitive Merkel cells not transitional cells were identified in the lamina propria. The present circumstantial evidence favours the hypothesis that Merkel cells differentiate from precursors in the basal layer of the epithelium.
为阐明所谓的“过渡性”细胞与默克尔细胞之间的关系，比较了婴儿、幼年和成年兔唇黏膜上皮中这些细胞的出现频率。在连续超薄切片中观察到了过渡性细胞。过渡性细胞在婴儿和幼年兔中数量最多，而成熟的默克尔细胞数量则呈相反增加。在婴儿和幼年兔中，过渡性细胞的超微结构彼此略有不同：一些类似于未成熟的角质形成细胞，另一些类似于成熟的默克尔细胞。所有过渡性细胞均含有默克尔细胞颗粒和核内小杆。据推测，唇黏膜上皮中的默克尔细胞由过渡性细胞发育而来。在固有层中未发现成熟的默克尔细胞和过渡性细胞。目前的间接证据支持默克尔细胞由上皮基底层的前体细胞分化而来这一假说。
