1870年Heidenhain首先发现狗胃粘膜的嗜银细胞(以后有人称之为肠嗜铬细胞

基底颗粒细胞或内分泌细胞)

近百年来学者们对它的形态和功能进行了大量的研究

积累了丰富资料

1930年Masson提出肠嗜铬细胞可能是一种神经分泌细胞

1952年Erspamer证明嗜银细胞中含有5-羟色The correlation between the number of argentaffin cells in gastric mucosa and the effectiveness of acupuncture anesthesia in 26 cases of patients subjected to subtotal gastrectomy has been studied. The number of argentophile cells

stained by Bodian's protein silver method

was relatively invariable and has no correlation with the effectiveness of acupuncture anesthesia. However

the number of argentaffin cells stained by the ammoniacal silver method

was closely related to the effectiveness of acupuncture anesthesia and was much higher in cases of grade 1 than in cases of grade Ⅲ. Specimens of gastric mucosa surgically removed from 26 cases of subtotal gastrectomy were observed with electronmicroscope. A great number of immature endocrine cells were found in fundic glands of stomach and their number and structure did not correlate with the effectiveness of acupuncture anesthesia. But the mature endocrine cells

especially the proportions of the liberation type of argentaffin cells

increased in cases of grade Ⅲ. We consider that the primary effect of acupuncture anesthesia lies in inhibiting the 5-HT liberation of the argentaffin cells in gastric mucosa.