Fine structure of the chicken uropygial gland

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  • 鶏尾腺の微細構造について
  • ケイ ビセン ノ ビサイ コウゾウ ニ ツイテ

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The uropygial glands of domestic fowls, White Leghorn, were observed by electron microscopy. The specimens were fixed in ice-coid 1% osmium tetroxide bufferd with s-Collidine at pH 7.4. After 2-3 hours of fixation, the tissue blocks were dehydrated in a series of graded ethanol and embedded in Epon 812 according to the method of Luft. Ultrathin sections for electron microscopy were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate, and were examined with a Hitachi HU-11 D-S electron microscope. The observations were summarized as follows: In each acinus, the most peripheral cells are the youngest, grow as they approached the center of the acinus and the superficial cells are excreted by means of holocrine secretion into the lumen of acinus. The peripheral immature cells are small and have relatively large nuclei. Numerous free ribosomes are scattered throughout the cytoplasm. A few s-ER, r-ER, mitochondria and tonofilaments are also contained but lipid droplets have not formed as yet. Golgi complexes are not well developed. With the progress of cell maturity, an increase in cytoplasm and s-ER is observed. Lipid droplets and dense bodies which have a smooth surfaced limiting membrane and assume a granular configuration appear in the cytoplasm. The lipid droplets do not have a limiting membrane but tend to partially surrounded by flattened s-ER. Moreover, the lumen of s-ER frequently seem to be continuous with the lipid droplets. Golgi complexes, on the other hand, are always poorly developed and have no correlation with lipid droplets during the course of lipid droplets formation. These findings suggest that in the chicken uropygial glands, the s-ER is the main site of lipid synthesis and its droplets formation. In the superficial mature cells which are filled with abundant lipid droplets and s-ER, karyopiknosis and degenerations of cellular organelles appear soon. Finally, these disintegrating cells are transformed into cell debris and drop off to the lumen of acinus.

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