Morphology, morphometry, histochemistry and lectinhistochemistry of the vagina of the plains viscacha

FLAMINI MA; DIAZ AO; BARBEITO CG; PORTIANSKY EL

Biotechnic & Histochemistry

Genamics JournalSeek

Lugar: Kentucky; Año: 2012 vol. 87 p. 81 - 94

1473-7760

The aim of the present work was to describe the morphology of the vagina inLagostomus maximus and to characterize its epithelial cells using morphometric and histochemical techniques (variations of PAS, Alcian blue and lectin histochemistry).Thirty-five sexually mature adult females were captured in their natural environment during four periods of the year and their genital organs were dissected. The vaginal wall of the viscacha has three tunics: mucosa, muscularis and adventitia or serosa according to the region. The epithelium is stratified in both cranial and caudal regions, but its characteristics vary depending on the physiological state. In anestrous, nonpregnant females have a stratified epithelium of two to three cellular layers with columnar PASpositive superficial mucous cells. During the follicular phase, the epithelium of the vagina is stratified squamous and cornified. Females at early, middle and term pregnancy have a columnar stratified epithelium with mucous cells. Glycoproteins in the mucous cells were detected using PAS, PA*S, KOH/PA*/BH/PAS; and Alcian blue, pH 0.5, pH 1, pH 2.5 and 0.006 M). Lectin histochemistry showed that UEA-I and RCA-1 lectins reacted strongly or moderately with epithelial cells in all stages analyzed.These results indicate the presence of L-fucose and β-galactose. Binding with otherlectins was variable