Histomorphological and Cytochemical Characters of Endocrine Cells of the Gastrointestinal Mucosa of Duck (Anas platyrhynchos)

Background: It is known that balance diet is the key success for better production in poultry. The digestive physiology is regulated by the neurocrine and endocrine secretions. Growth, secretion, motility, cell signalling, vasoregulation, cell proliferation and differentiation of the epithelial cells of the alimentary canal are reported to be controlled by the peptides or amines released from the gut endocrine cells and enteric neurons. References particularly on systematic study of gastrointestinal endocrine cells in duck as regards to histomorphology and cytochemistry are gravely scanty. Hence the present investigation envisages authenticating the histomorphological characters and cytochemical behaviour of the gastrointestinal endocrine cells in duck.Methods: For this study the abdomen of six Khaki campbell ducks from either sex was cut open following euthanasia. Tissue pieces from different segments of gut were collected and processed routinely to get 7-8µ thick serial paraffin sections. The tissue sections were stained for evaluation of histomorphological and histochemical characters of the entero-endocrine cells.Result: A panel of seven cytochemical stains identified nine endocrine cell types in the digestive mucosa of Khaki Campbell duck i.e. basally granulated oval cell, densely granulated spindle shaped cell, densely granulated oval cell, diffusely granulated oval cell, pyramidal cell, densely granulated elongated cell, densely granulated pyriform cell, peripherally granulated spherical cell and non-argentaffin chromaffin oval cell. The cells occurred in single or in small clusters in the basal or middle or neck part of glandular epithelium or in the surface epithelium. All the endocrine cells were ‘close type’. Cytochemically they were four types i.e. argentaffin, argyrophil, chromaffin and APUD (Amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation) cells.