Ensheathment of the olfactory nerves in the adult rat.

The ensheathment of the olfactory nerve fibres is achieved by cooperation of two cell types. The olfactory ensheathing cells have a rounded outer surface enclosed in a continuous single basal lamina, and enclose an inner compartment from which overlapping processes of the same and adjacent cells enwrap interweaving territories of tightly apposed aligned axons. The olfactory nerve fibroblasts are highly flattened, dense cells generating multiple layers of very thin processes encircling individual or groups of olfactory ensheathing cells. This paper illustrates the unique ultrastructural features of this ensheathment.