%0 Journal Article
%T Histochemistry and cytology of the mucosa of small stomach in Alligator sinensis
%A ZHANG Sheng-Zhou
%A PAN Hong-Zhen
%A CHEN Hong-Hong
%A WU Xiao-Bing
%J Acta Zoologica Sinica
%D 2008
%I 
%X The small stomach of Alligator sinensis is a small cavity at the juncture of the stomachus pyloricus and duodenum enclosed by pyloric and duodenal circular sphincter. Its physiological function is still unclear. The histochemical components, ultrastructure and cell types of the small stomach were studied with histochemical, electron microscopic and immunohistochemical techniques. The epithelium in all parts of small stomach showed a strongly positive PAS-reaction and weakly AB staining, secreting mainly neutral mucopolysaccharide and a small amount of sulphur acidic mucopolysaccharide. The epithelium of small stomach was formed by surface mucous cells, containing few endocrine cells. Three types of cells including endocrine cell, glandular mucous cell and oxynticopeptic cell were observed in the gastric gland region, 70%¨C90% of which were endocrine cells. Six types of endocrine cells were detected by immunohistochemical method using seven antisera of gut hormones. They were 5-Hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), gastrin(Gas), glucagon (Glu), substance P(SP), somatostatin(SS) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) cells respectively. The density of Glu cells was the highest and the density of VIP cells was the lowest, no pancreatic polypeptide(PP) cells were detected. The results of this study suggested that, in terms of histochemical components and cell types, the small stomach of Alligator sinensis is homologous to its stomach; Considering the ultrastructure of oxynticopeptic cells and the percentage of endocrine cells, no tubulovesicle was observed in the oxynticopeptic cells, the percentage of endocrine cells was very high, the small stomach had been specialized, it might not secret gastric acid and may play an important role in the regulation of gastrointestinal function [Acta Zoologica Sinica 54(6):1044 ¨C1050, 2008].
%K Alligator sinensis
%K Small stomach
%K Histochemistry
%K Ultrastructure
%K Immunohistochemistry
%U http://www.currentzoology.org/paperdetail.asp?id=11042