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The esophageal plexus (oesophageal plexus in British English) is formed by nerve fibers from two sources, branches of the vagus nerve, [1] [2] and visceral branches of the sympathetic trunk. [ 3 ] [ 4 ] The esophageal plexus and the cardiac plexus contain the same types of fibers and are both considered thoracic autonomic plexus .
The splanchnic nerves are paired visceral nerves (nerves that contribute to the innervation of the internal organs), carrying fibers of the autonomic nervous system (visceral efferent fibers) as well as sensory fibers from the organs (visceral afferent fibers).
Between the two muscle layers is the myenteric plexus (Auerbach's plexus). This controls peristalsis. Activity is initiated by the pacemaker cells (interstitial cells of Cajal). The gut has intrinsic peristaltic activity (basal electrical rhythm) due to its self-contained enteric nervous system.
The plexus includes sensory receptors, such as chemoreceptors and mechanoreceptors, that are used to provide sensory input to the interneurons in the enteric nervous system. The plexus is the parasympathetic nucleus of origin for the vagus nerve and communicates with the medulla oblongata through both the anterior and posterior vagal nerves.
Its fibers synapse at the celiac ganglia. [4] The nerve contributes to the celiac plexus , a network of nerves located in the vicinity of where the celiac trunk branches from the abdominal aorta . The greater splanchnic nerve modulates the activity of the enteric nervous system of the foregut .
The vagus is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system in the human body and comprises both sensory and motor fibers. The sensory fibers have their nuclei either in the jugular or the nodose ganglion, whereas the motor fibers come from neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and the nucleus ambiguus. [2]
The fibers are carried by both the anterior and posterior vagal nerves. The myenteric plexus is the major nerve supply to the gastrointestinal tract and controls GI tract motility. [1] According to preclinical studies, 30% of myenteric plexus' neurons are enteric sensory neurons, thus Auerbach's plexus has also a sensory component. [2] [3]
The inferior fibers are horizontal and continuous with the circular fibers of the esophagus; the rest ascend, increasing in obliquity, and overlap the middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle. The cricopharyngeal part is synonymous with the upper esophageal sphincter (UES), which controls the opening of the cervical esophagus. [4]