黑斑蛙嗅器和犁鼻器的组化及超微结构特征

嗅感受器主要感知外界环境中化学信号分子.本文采用银染、NADPH-组化染色和电镜技术来观察黑斑侧褶蛙(Petophylax nigromaculatus)的嗅器和犁鼻器的功能差异及细胞组成.银染法可对嗅上皮和犁鼻上皮的细胞进行分类及区分.其中,支持细胞胞核深染成黑色,嗅细胞胞核银染为花斑状.细胞计数显示,犁鼻上皮的嗅神经细胞含量百分比显著高于嗅上皮.组化结果显示,黑斑侧褶蛙嗅上皮和犁鼻上皮对NADPH-d表达模式差异显著,前者表达明显高于后者.电镜结果显示,黑斑侧褶蛙嗅上皮和犁鼻上皮的支持细胞由两种类型的细胞组成,分别为纤毛型和颗粒型支持细胞.

Ultrastructure and Histochemical Characteristics of Olfactory and Vomeronasal Organs in Pelophylax nigromaculatus

Olfactory sensory organ can perceive the chemical molecules of external environment. Here, we observed olfactory and vomeronasal organs in Pelophylax nigromaculatus using the silver staining, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry staining and electron microscopy. Three cell types in the olfactory and vomeronasal epithelia could be distinguished using silver staining. Nuclear staining of supporting cells was strongly dark, but nuclear staining of the receptor cell was in a irregular spotting pattern. In addition, the proportion of olfactory receptor cells in the vomeronasal epithelium was significantly more than that of the olfactory epithelium. The olfactory and vomeronasal organs showed different staining patterns and they could be easily distinguished when NADPH-d histochemistry staining was employed. Finally, the supporting cells in the olfactory and vomeronasal epithelia consisted of two cell types: ciliated supporting cells and granular secretory supporting cells.