A histological study on the development of the digestive system of Pseudosciaena crocea larvae and juveniles

The ontogenetic development of the gut and accessory organs in large yellow croaker Pseudosciaena crocea was investigated using light microscopy from hatching up to the juvenile stage (40 days post hatch, dph). At 3 dph (mean ±  s . d ., 4·1 ± 0·1 mm total length, L _T), coinciding with the buccopharynx opening, larvae started to feed exogenously, and the gut consisted of a well‐developed buccopharynx, a partially‐differentiated oesophagus and an intestine divided in three regions (anterior intestine, intermediate intestine and rectum). Yolk reserves were not completely depleted at the onset of exogenous feeding, and a period of mixed nutrition was observed up to 6 dph (4·3 ± 0·1 mm L _T), when yolk was definitively exhausted. Important morphological changes occurred at the end of the larval period, coinciding with metamorphosis. At 17 dph (6·8 ± 0·6 mm L _T), pyloric caeca differentiated at the junction of the pyloric stomach and the anterior intestine. Gastric glands were first observed at 21 dph (9·2 ± 1·2 mm L _T), coinciding with the morphological development of the stomach in three different regions (cardiac, fundic and pyloric) according to the histological characteristics of their mucosa. At this age, large longitudinal folds appeared in the median and posterior oesophageal mucosa. These morphological and histological features suggested the achievement of a digestive system characteristic of large yellow croaker juveniles and adults.     

A study of morphology and histology of the alimentary tract of Glyptosternum maculatum (Sisoridae,Siluriformes)

Xiong, D., Zhang, L., Yu, H., Xie, C., Kong, Y., Zeng, Y., Huo, B. and Liu, Z. 2011. A study of morphology and histology of the alimentary tract of Glyptosternum maculatum (Sisoridae, Siluriformes). —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 92 : 161–169. The structure of alimentary tract has been studied in a cold water fish Glyptosternum maculatum, an endemic teleost species of notable economic importance and with high potential for controlled rearing of the species in Tibet, by light and electron microscope. Glyptosternum maculatum has short oesophagus, large caecal‐type stomach and short intestine, and the digestive tract with four layers: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis and serosa. Taste buds were found in the epithelium of lips, buccopharynx and oesophagus. The stratified epithelium of buccopharynx and oesophagus was located with numerous goblet cells. The U‐shaped stomach has three parts, corresponding to mammalian cardiac, fundus and pyloric portion, lined with a single‐layered columnar epithelium, and tubular gastric glands are present in cardiac and fundic portion, but absent in pyloric portion. No pyloric caeca was detected. The intestine is separated from the stomach by a loop valve. The intestine epithelium is composed of simple columnar cells with a distinct microvillus brush border and many goblet cells. Meanwhile, the intestinal coefficient was 0.898. At the ultrastuctural level, three type cells (mucous, glandular and endocrine cell) were found in the stomach, and glandular cell with a great amount of pepsinogen granules. The enterocytes of the intestinal mucosa display abundant endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and well‐developed microvilli. Congxin Xie, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China. E‐mail: xiecongxin@mail.hzau.edu.cn or dreamsail_2005@yahoo.com.cn     

Histological and ultrastructural study of the digestive tract of rice field eel, Monopterus albus

The histological characteristics of the digestive tract and the ultrastructure of mucosal cells of the stomach and intestine of rice field eel, Monopterus albus, are described to provide a basis for future studies on its digestive physiology. The digestive tract of the rice field eel is a long and coiled tube composed of four layers: mucosa, lamina propria‐submucosa, muscularis and serosa. The pharynx and oesophagus mucosa is lined with a stratified epithelium. The stomach includes the cardiac and pyloric portions and the fundus. Many gastric pits are formed by invaginations of the mucosal layer and tubular gastric glands formed by the columnar cells in the fundus. The intestine is separated from the stomach by a loop valve and divided into a proximal portion and a distal portion. The proximal intestinal epithelium consists of columnar cells with microvilli towards the lumen and goblet cells. The enterocytes are joined at the apical surface by the junctional complex, including the evident desmosomas. Numerous lysosomes and some vesicles are evident in the upper cytoplasm of the cells, and a moderate amount of endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes are scattered in the supranuclear cytoplasm. The epithelium becomes progressively thicker and the folds containing large numbers of goblet cells are fewer and shorter in the distal portion of the intestine. At the ultrastuctural level, the columnar cells of the tubular gastric glands have numerous clear vacuoles and channels. A moderate amount of pepsinogen granules are present in the stomach. The enterocytes of the intestinal mucosa display a moderate amount of endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes, and long and regular microvilli.     

刀鲚幼鱼消化系统的组织形态学结构

采用光镜和扫描电镜观察长江刀鲚(Coilia nasus)幼鱼消化系统组织形态学结构。结果显示,刀鲚体长,口裂大,含有犬齿状的颌齿和尖锥状的腭齿,具有5对鳃弓,鳃耙长度明显大于鳃丝且表面附着不规则绒毛状细齿;胃呈"Y"型,胃与肠连接处具有16～21个指状环形幽门盲囊;肠为直肠,较短,比肠长为0.241±0.080;肝分为两叶,胰为独立的器官。刀鲚口咽腔为复层鳞状上皮,含有腺体、大量椭圆形黏液细胞、少量杯状细胞及味蕾;胃黏膜都为典型的单层柱状上皮,含有较多由上皮凹陷形成的胃小凹和胃腺;幽门盲囊具有20～25个丰富的褶皱,占满大部分幽门盲囊腔,黏膜层具有微绒毛;中肠黏膜上皮最发达,形成的褶皱细长且连接成网状,单层柱状上皮与复层扁平上皮交替分布。观察结果表明,刀鲚消化系统具有典型肉食性鱼类特征。     

A study of the anatomy, histology and ultrastructure of the digestive tract of Orthrias angorae Steindachner, 1897

The anatomy, histology and ultrastructure of the digestive tract of Orthrias angorae (Steindachner, 1897) were investigated using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The histological structure consists of four layers: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis and serosa. The esophageal mucosa consists of undifferentiated basal epithelial cells, mucous cells and surface epithelial cells. It was observed that the J-shaped stomach had a meshwork of folds in the cardiac region, and longitudinal folds in the fundic and pyloric regions. A single layer of columnar cells, PAS positive only in their apical portions, forms the epithelium. The convoluted tube-shape intestine is lined by simple columnar epithelial cells, which have microvilli at the apical surface. The wall of the esophagus and stomach are thicker than that of the intestine because of the thick muscle layer. There were numerous goblet cells in the intestine. There were numerous gastric glands in the submucosa layer ofthe cardiac stomach, but none were present in the pyloric region of the stomach. There were no pyloric caeca between the stomach and intestine. The enterocytes with microvilli contained rough endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes and rounded bodies, and the gastric cells contained a well-developed Golgi apparatus.     

小熊猫胃的解剖和组织结构研究

小熊猫的胃属单室腺型胃,它以角切迹为界,可分为胃底部和幽门部两部分。胃壁由粘膜、粘膜下层、肌层和浆膜四层组成。四上皮为单层柱状上皮,具有分泌粘液的功能。胃腺有贲门腺、胃底腺、幽门腺三种,但贲门腺不发达。主细胞、壁细胞和粘液细胞的数量与分布呈现规律性变化。肌层发达,特别是内环行肌发达。并与大熊猫胃的结构作了比较。     

The digestive tract of the amberjack Seriola dumerili, Risso: a light and scanning electron microscope study

The histology of the digestive tract of the amberjack ( Seriola dumerili , Risso) was studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. The anterior oesophagus mucosa displays primary and secondary folds lined with a stratified squamous epithelium with fingerprint-like microridges which is substituted, on the top of the oesogaster folds, by a simple columnar epithelium with short microvilli. Only primary folds are present in the stomach. The anterior portion is rich in simple tubular glands, whereas the oesogaster and the pyloric region are devoid of them. Pyloric caeca and anterior and middle intestine mucosa display the same pattern of folding. The dominant cell type is the enterocyte, which exhibits larger and thinner microvilli in the caeca than in the intestine. The columnar epithelium of the rectum is replaced, in the anal sphincter, by a stratified flattened epithelium. Goblet cells are numerous throughout the whole length of the tract with the exception of the initial part of the oesophagus, the oesogaster, the stomach and the anal sphincter. Mucosubstances have been shown to vary in the different regions of the gut: acid mucines are found in the oesophagus, pyloric stomach, caeca, intestine and rectum, whereas neutral mucosubstances dominate in the anterior portion of the stomach. The muscularis is well developed throughout the length of the tract: two layers of striated muscle at the oesophageal level; two layers of smooth muscle in the stomach wall and three at the intestinal level.     

The stomach of Oreochromis niloticus has three regions

The stomach of Oreochromis niloticus was divided into three distinct regions: initial, middle and terminal, corresponding roughly to the cardiac, fundic, and pyloric portions of the mammalian stomach. Grossly, the organ showed initial and terminal portions, the former connected to the distal part of the oesophagus and the latter to the proximal portion of the intestine. There was also a middle region, forming a large blind diverticulum communicating with the first two at their point of junction. The initial or cardiac region was shorter than the middle region but longer than the terminal one, and had a smooth surface devoid of gastric pits. The epithelium in this region was simple columnar devoid of goblet cells, with glandular regions in the lamina propria. The mucosa of the middle or fundic region had gastric pits lined by columnar epithelium, and simple tubular glands filled most of the lamina propria. The terminal or pyloric part of the stomach was very short and its mucosa was slightly folded and devoid of both gastric pits and mucous glandular cells. The lining epithelium of this portion of the stomach was simple columnar and a few goblet cells were seen at its junction with the first part of the intestine. The tunica muscularis of the stomach contained skeletal muscle in the initial and terminal regions, usually intermingled with smooth muscle fibres. Skeletal muscle fibres were also observed in the first portion of the small intestine, near the junction with the stomach.     

Morphological characterisation of the digestive tract of the catfish Lophiosilurus alexandri Steindachner, 1876 (Siluriformes,Pseudopimelodidae)

The anatomical arrangement of the digestive tract and the length (cm) of the oesophagus and intestine of the catfish Lophiosilurus alexandri were described, and the intestinal coefficient was determined. L. alexandri oesophagus is short, in median position, and presents longitudinally folded mucosa, whilst its epithelium is stratified and non-keratinised, with mucous, claviform and epithelial cells. Stomach has “C” shape, with folded mucosa along cardiac region, disordered in the fundic region, and directed to the sphincter in the pyloric region. Its epithelium is simple prismatic, and cardiac and fundic portions have gastric glands. Cranial intestine is formed by pyloric flexure and descending loop attached to the right side of stomach. Middle intestine is winding and positioned to the right of caudal portion of stomach. Caudal intestine is linear and with a median position up to the anus. Intestinal coefficient was 1.39 ± 0.30 cm. Epithelium is simple prismatic with brush border and contains epithelial and goblet cells. Caudal region has highest concentration of goblet cells. Were detected neutral glycoproteins, carboxylated and sulphated acid glycoconjugates for mucous cells and goblet cells, and neutral glycoproteins for the apical region of gastric epithelial cells. Morphological features could be related to piscivorous species feeding habit.     

Histology and mucin histochemistry of the gastrointestinal tract of the mud loach, in relation to respiration

The gastrointestinal tract of the mud loach Misgurnus mizolepis was divided into an oesophagus, stomach, intestine and rectum which consisted of a mucosa (epithelial layer), lamina propria-submucosa, muscularis and serosa. The intestine and rectum have shorter mucosal folds and a thinner wall than those of the oesophagus and the stomach. Extensive vascular capillary networks were present near the luminal surface of the intestine and the rectum. The diffusion distance between the vascular capillaries and the viscus lumen in the intestinal and rectal mucosal epithelium was 0·7 μm (±0·11). The intestine and rectum of Misgurnus mizolepis probably have a respiratory function to address the deficient oxygen supply within their environment. The epithelial mucous cells contained acidic or a mixture of acidic and neutral mucins, the former being the most common.     

The oesophagus and stomach of dolphins (Tursiops, Delphinus, Stenella)

The morphology of the oesophagus and stomach has been studied in several species of Tursiops, Delphinus and Stenella and correlated with the histological and ultrastructural characteristics of each region. The oesophagus opens into a saccular forestomach, lined by stratified squamous epithelium. A narrow opening leads into a globular main stomach with a plicated glandular mucous membrane possessing mucous, parietal and chief cells. The main stomach communicates with pyloric stomach by a narrow connecting channel possessing sphincteric constrictions. Variations in the connecting channel have been found in the species examined. The mucosae of the channel and the pyloric stomach are similar and contain typical pyloric glands. Argentaffin cells are present. The cytological and other characteristics of the component chambers have been interpreted in relation to feeding habits and digestion in dolphins.     

江豚(Neophocaena asiaeorientalis)的消化器官 Ⅰ.舌、食管、胃

江豚是属于鼠海豚科(Phocoenidae)的一种小型齿鲸。我国沿海以及大的江河、湖泊中均有分布。1926年秉志曾报道过江豚某些消化器官的大体结构。以后Howell(1927)和Pilleri等(1972)也分别描述了其胃的构造,可是都缺少组织学的观察,对江豚的舌、肠和胰等的叙述极简短。此外,Arvy等(1972)、Yamasaki等(1976)和Komatsu等(1980)对江豚的舌进行过不同程度的研究。     

香鱼消化道及肝脏的形态结构特征

采用解剖及石蜡切片显微技术观察了香鱼消化道及肝脏的组织学结构。香鱼消化道由口咽腔、食道、胃及肠构成。口咽腔大且狭长,其底壁前部有一对粘膜褶,两颌边缘着生宽扁梳状齿,腭骨及舌骨具齿,犁骨无齿;舌由基舌骨突出部分覆盖粘膜构成,舌粘膜上皮为复层扁平上皮,含有较多的杯状细胞和味蕾。食道、胃及肠均由粘膜层、粘膜下层、肌层及外膜构成。食道粘膜层上皮为复层扁平上皮,杯状细胞发达。胃呈V形,由贲门部、胃体部及幽门部组成,胃壁粘膜上皮为单层柱状上皮,贲门部与胃体部的固有层中有胃腺。肠较短,由前、中、后肠构成,肠壁粘膜上皮为单层柱状上皮,其游离面具微绒毛;上皮细胞间有杯状细胞。幽门盲囊有350～400条,其组织学结构与肠相同。肝脏单叶,外被浆膜;肝细胞形态不规则,肝小叶界限不明显。     

Morphological and histochemical investigations of esophagogastric tract of a lizard, Laudakia stellio (Agamidae, Linnaeus 1758)

Histological structures of esophagus and stomach tissue samples of Lacerta stellio have been studied, and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) distribution has been histochemically determined. Histologically, esophagus and stomach of L. stellio are composed of four layers: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis mucosae and serosa. Mucosa of esophagus is covered by simple columnar ciliated epithelium with many mucous secreting goblet cells and contains branched tubular glands.Stomach of L. stellio is composed of fundus (oral and aboral) and pylorus regions. Mucosa is covered by columnar epithelium. Fundic glands are branched tubular glands while pyloric glands are usually simple tubular glands. In both regions of the stomach, glands are subdivided into three areas as base, neck and isthmus. Both in the esophagus and stomach, muscular layer is in the form of smooth muscle having inner circular and outer longitudinal layers.According to the results obtained by Alcian Blue (pH 5.8)/Periodic Acid Schiff staining, stomach is similar to esophagus in that neutral mucins and hyaluronic acid (HA) are dominant in isthmus and neck regions of gland tissue of stomach. In the base of the stomach, only neutral mucins have been observed. HA has been observed to be dominant in all other regions of both stomach and esophagus, along with some but not much sulphated GAGs.     

Somatostatin cells in the gastric mucosa of small ruminants. Immunohistochemical study

The distribution of somatostatin cells was investigated immunohistochemically in the epithelium of the abomasal mucous membrane of sheep and goats. Tissue samples were taken from different areas at the lesser and greater curvature of the glandular stomach. More somatostatin cells per 0.5 mm2 were found in sheep than in goats, predominantly in the pyloric gland region. In the pyloric area of both species the mucosa in the greater curvature contained more immunoreactive cells than the one in the lesser curvature. A few somatostatin cells with basal cytoplasmic processes of the 'open type' were observed over the entire abomasal mucosa.     

银鲳消化道形态与组织学结构特征及其消化酶活性

为了解银鲳(Pampus argenteus)消化道结构特点与其功能及食性的相关性, 采用解剖、石蜡切片、AB-PAS染色及酶活性检测技术对银鲳消化道的形态、组织结构、黏液细胞分布及消化酶活性进行研究。结果显示, 银鲳的消化道由口咽腔(舌)、食道侧囊、食道、胃及肠构成, 胃肠交界处有很多幽门盲囊。食道侧囊呈椭球形, 食道粗短, 胃呈U型, 肠有多个盘曲, 肠指数为2.03。舌上皮内有少量味蕾及较多黏液细胞。食道侧囊、食道、胃及肠均由黏膜层、黏膜下层、肌层及浆膜组成。食道侧囊内皱襞较发达, 被覆复层扁平上皮, 内含较多黏液细胞, 且以Ⅳ型为主, 皱襞顶端及侧面有内含角质刺的次级突起; 黏膜下层及肌层中有固定皱襞的骨质脚根; 侧囊内胃蛋白酶活性较高。食道内皱襞较高, 被覆复层扁平上皮, 内含较多黏液细胞, 且以Ⅳ型为主。胃内皱襞发达, 被覆单层柱状上皮, 未见黏液细胞分布; 胃腺发达, 胃内蛋白酶活性较高。肠道内褶襞多, 高度呈先下降后上升趋势, 黏液细胞密度前、中肠较高, 后肠较低, 且均以Ⅰ型为主; 肠道内胰蛋白酶、脂肪酶、淀粉酶及碱性磷酸酶活性较高。幽门盲囊组织结构与肠相似。银鲳的消化道结构特点、黏液细胞分布及消化酶活性与其功能及偏肉食的杂食性相适应。     

Structure and Function of the Gastrointestinal Tract of the Green Turtle(Chelonia mydas) Hatchling

The gastrointestinal tracts of four Chelonia mydas hatchlings were examined at the anatomical, histological and ultrastructural level. Our results show that the gastrointestinal tract(GI) is composed by esophagus, stomach, small intestine(SI) and large intestine(LI), and histologically of mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa(ME) and serosa. The esophagus is marked by conical papillae lined by keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, whereas the remaining GI by simple columnar epithelium; esophageal diverticulum is absent. The stomach covered with mucous granule cells, contains cardia, fundic regions and pylorus, which are separately characterized by cardiac glands, fundic glands and pyloric glands, and have the thickest submucosa and ME of the GI. The ME of the esophagus mainly consist of one layer of circular smooth muscle whereas the rest of GI of two layers, inner circular muscle and outer longitudinal muscle. The SI is slightly longer than the LI and the GI is approximately 5.11 times of the carapace length. The SI is lined with longitudinal zigzag folds and characterized by absorptive cells with longer and denser microvilli, whereas the LI by transversal folds, goblet cells and lymphoid nodules. Only intestinal glands appear in duodenum. Endocrine cells are observed in all sections of the GI and accounted for the largest proportion in duodenum. The results demonstrate a perfect combination of the structure and function of the GI and reveal that the digestion and absorption primarily occurs in the foregut. C. mydas hatchling may prefer carnivorous diet.     

Geographic variation in Leporinus friderici (Bloch) (Pisces: Ostariophysi: Anostomidae) from the Paraná-Paraguay and Amazon River basins

Morphological variation among populations of Leporinus friderici (Bloch), an anostomid fish of widespread neotropical distribution, has been hypothesized but never conclusively demonstrated. We used multivariate procedures to examine patterns of morphometric variation among populations of L. friderici from three South American biogeographic regions: the Paraná-Paraguay River and Amazon River basins of Brazil, and the Marowijne River basin of Suriname. Samples from the southern Paraná-Paraguay basin are completely distinct from the northern Amazonian and Suriname regions in principal components analysis, primarily on the basis of body elongation and orbit differcnces. Samples from the two northern regions were separated in a size-free canonical variates analysis by differences in relative body depth. These results emphasize a need for further studies of neotropical fish species with similar distribution patterns.     

Structure of the gut of the racer goby Neogobius gymnotrachelus (Kessler, 1857)

The morphological and histological features of the gut of juvenile racer goby Neogobius gymnotrachelus [range of body mass 0·2–0·9 g and standard length ( L _S) 20·0–38·8 mm] were examined in fish collected from the Włocławek Reservoir on the Vistula River, Poland. Evidence is provided of the stomachless nature of the gut of the racer goby. The intestine of the juveniles lacks the intestinal bulb. A particular feature of the racer goby gut is the secretory oesogaster (the transitional region where the secretory oesophagus merges into the intestine) with multicellular alveolar glands that secrete via a common duct to the surface between the mucosal folds. The cells in the secretory oesogaster alveolar glands are periodic-acid-Schiff (PAS) positive indicating the presence of neutral mucopolysaccharides. It is hypothesized that the secretory oesogaster is evidence of the loss of the functional stomach in this species. There are two sphincters: the oesogaster–intestinal and the intestinal–rectal in the racer goby gut. It can be concluded that the oesogaster–intestinal sphincter is functionally related to the gastro-intestinal sphincter described in many fish species having a stomach. Enterocytes with a distinct brush border and only a few goblet cells are observed in the epithelium along the whole intestine. The existence of vacuoles in the supranuclear region of the rectal enterocytes is also confirmed.     

Morphology of the digestive system in carnivorous freshwater dourado Salminus brasiliensis

The digestive system of teleost shows remarkable functional and morphological diversity. In this study, the digestive tract and accessory organs of dourado Salminus brasiliensis are characterized using anatomical, histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical analyses. The existence of taste buds bordered by microridges in the oesophagus of dourado was recorded for the first time, thus showing that the species drives food intake by either swallowing or rejecting the food item. The Y-shaped stomach of dourado consisted of cardiac, cecal and pyloric regions with tubular gastric glands registered solely in the cardiac and cecal segments. The intestine is a short N-shaped tube with two loops, an intestinal coefficient of 0.73. The structure of pyloric caeca is similar to that of the intestine wall, comprising tunica mucosa, tela submucosa, tunica muscularis and tunica serosa layers. Histochemical analyses revealed an increased incidence of goblet cells from the midgut to the hindgut segment. A well-developed enteric plexus of scattered nerve cell and fibres are found along the digestive tract, and the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactive neurons and fibres were identified in the myenteric plexus from the oesophagus to the hindgut. The exocrine pancreas appears diffuse in the mesentery around the stomach, intestine and also reaches the liver, and the endocrine pancreas is organized as a few islets of Langerhans. The liver comprises three distinct, asymmetric lobes, and the portal triad arrangement was registered in this tissue.