Abstract
For the mechanism of duodenojejunal flexure (DJF) morphogenesis in mice, we consider the gut tube itself and the gut mesentery as important players. In this study, we focussed on the morphological features of the gut mesentery around the mouse duodenum, especially the duodenocolic fold at embryonic day (E) 18.5 and the adult phase. The duodenocolic fold, a sheet of the mesentery, was located between the entire ascending duodenum and the descending colon. At E18.5, in the cranial area near the DJF, the duodenocolic fold joined both the mesocolon and the mesojejunal part of the root of the mesentery. In the middle and caudal areas, the duodenocolic fold joined the mesocolon. Interestingly, along with the ascending duodenum, the duodenocolic fold contained a smooth muscle bundle. The smooth muscle bundle continued from the outer muscular layer of the middle to the caudal part of the ascending duodenum. The three-dimensional imaging of the foetal duodenocolic fold revealed that the smooth muscle bundle had short and long apexes towards the proximal and distal parts of the root of the mesentery, respectively. At the adult phase, the duodenocolic fold had a much thinner connective tissue with a larger surface area in comparison with the duodenocolic fold at E18.5. The adult duodenocolic fold also contained the smooth muscle bundle which was similar to the foetal duodenocolic fold. A part of the duodenocolic fold connecting to the mesojejunal part of the root of the mesentery seemed to be homologous to the superior duodenal fold in humans, known as the duodenojejunal fold; by contrast, most of the duodenocolic fold seemed to be homologous to the inferior duodenal fold in humans, known as the duodenomesocolic fold. The smooth muscle bundle in the mouse duodenocolic fold seemed to play a role in keeping the ascending duodenum in the abdominal cavity because the duodenum in animals did not belong to a retroperitoneal organ in contrast to humans owing to the difference in the direction of gravity on the abdominal organs between mice and humans. Moreover, the smooth muscle bundle shared common and uncommon points in its location and nerve supply to the suspensory muscle of the duodenum in humans, known as the ligament of Treitz. This study had insufficient evidence that the smooth muscle bundle of the mouse duodenocolic fold was homologous to the suspensory muscle of the duodenum in humans. In conclusion, this study revealed the detailed structure of the mouse duodenocolic fold, including the relationship between the fold and other mesenteries. Particularly, the smooth muscle bundle is a specific feature of the mouse duodenocolic fold and might play several roles in DJF morphogenesis, especially the ascending duodenum and the caudal duodenal flexure during development.