[Enterochromaffin cells of the rat duodenal mucosa]

Enterochromaffine cells (ECC) of the rat duodenal mucosa were revealed by Falk-Hillarp's fluorescent-histochemical method, by Masson-Hamperl's method and by diazoreaction with fast red. ECC were arranged among the cells of the surface epithelium of the crypts and villi. These cells were of bottle shape in the villi and of triangular form--in the crypts. The number of ECC found by the mentioned methods in the crypts and the villi varied: by Falk-Hillarp's method--210.4 +/- 0.02, by Masson-Hamperl's method--182.5 +/- 0.05, and by the diazomethod--73.7 +/- 0.02.