Esophagus epithelium

Wax A, Pyhtila JW, Graf RN, Nines R, Boone CW, Dasari RR, Feld MS, Steele VE, Stoner GD. 2005. Prospective grading of neoplastic change in rat esophagus epithelium using angle-resolved low-coherence interferometry. J Biomed Opt 10 051604. 

The stomach of rats and mice is anatomically different from the human stomach. A part of the stomach in rodents is devoid of glands this part is called the forestomach. The squamous epithelium in the non-glandular rodent forestomach resembles the epithehum covering the esophagus. Therefore, the human esophagus must be regarded as similar with respect to the epithelium of the non-glandular rodent forestomach. 

Esophageal cancer can also be influenced by other nutrients. Riboflavin (B ) deficiency results in severe changes in the epithelium of the oral tissues and esophagus in rats and primates. The effects of riboflavin deficiency in human populations are well known (29,30) but animal models for investigation of consequences of the deficiency have been used very little. 

Dr. Henry Foy (personal communication) has drawn attention to the severe effects of riboflavin deficiency in the baboon, with particular attention to the dysplasia of the epithelium of the oral cavity and esophagus. Dr. Foy has pursued these studies for many years at the Wellcome Research Laboratories in Nairobi. We have observed similar lesions in the Rhesus monkey, and have further pursued the effects of riboflavin deficiency in the rat. We have superimposed an esophageal carcinogen (MBN) on the deprived, damaged oral cavity and esophageal epithelium. Table IX lists results of a five month study, emphasizing the profound enhancement the deficiency can have on the esophagus (31). 

The mouth and esophagus are composed of two layers, the mucosa and submucosa (Figure 3.5). The mucosa is lined on its outer surface by a stratified squamous epithelium with layers of polyhedral cells of the intermediate layers and low columnar cells of the basal layer. Below the cellular layer is the lamina propria containing loose connective tissue with blood vessels and small aggregates of lymphocytes. Smooth muscle within the mucosa (muscularis mucosal layer) is seen as small bundles. The submucosa... 

Figure 3.5. Structure of oral tissues. The mouth and esophagus are composed of two layers the mucosa and submucosa. The mucosa is composed of layers of squamous epithelium, lamina propria, and muscularis. The submucosa contains blood vessels, nerves, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle.

Protective-, this is found in the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus and anal canal. The surface epithelium is stratified squamous and may be keratinized (see Section 1.3.1). 

A 63-year-old hjrpertensive woman, who had a carcinoma of the distal esophagus resected 19 months earlier, developed chronic diarrhea. Clostridium difficile toxin was identified in her stools and the diarrhea resolved after treatment with metronidazole. Enalapril was added to her antihypertensive treatment, and 3 months later the diarrhea recurred. Stool examination was negative and there was no Clostridium difficile toxin. Her condition worsened and she lost 5 kg in weight She had marked eosinophiha (2.4 x 10 /1), and a small bowel biopsy showed mild chronic inflammation and edema, partial villous atrophy, and large clusters of eosinophils in the lamina propria with some focal infiltration of the epithelium. She stopped taking enalapril and her diarrhea promptly abated and the eosinophil count fell to 0.5 X 10 /1 at 3 weeks and 0.1 x 10 /1 at 2 months. 

The esophagus is a musculomembranous conduit that extends from the pharynx to the stomach and is approximately 23-25 cm in length in an adult. It is lined by stratified squamous columnar epithelium and surrounded by a muscular layer composed of longitudinally arranged smooth muscle bundles. The submucosa contains many nerve fibers. It also contains submucosal glands, which are mainly present in the lower and upper portions of the esophagus and... 

Within the context of muscle tissue, FT-IR and Raman imaging have each been applied more often to smooth muscle than to skeletal muscle. Both, FT-IR and Raman imaging of blood vessels were used to obtain chemical and spatial information about atherosclerosis [14—16]. Raman images of bronchial tissue containing not only cartilage and epithelium but also smooth muscle were reported [17]. Other FT-IR and Raman imaging studies on the esophagus, intestine and uterus concentrated rather on the epithelium than on smooth muscle, mainly because carcinomas arise in the epithehal tissues. 

Alimentary Tract. Squamous cell neoplasms of the tongue, esophagus, and forestomach (nonglandular) are often combined for evaluation. Likewise, epithelium-derived neoplasms from various portions of the small intestine are combined, as are neoplasms from different areas of large intestine (cecum and colon). Morphologically similar neoplasms of the small and large intestines are combined at times to evaluate the intestinal tract as a whole. Neoplasms of the glandular stomach are usually evaluated independently. 

Dorer R, Odze RD. AMACR immunostaining is useful in detecting dysplastic epithelium in Barrett s esophagus, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn s disease. Am J Surg Pathol. 2006 30 871-877. 

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