The postnatal development and histochemistry of mucins of the lingual, preglottal and laryngeal glands in the quails were investigated by means of light microscopy using specific staining for complex carbohydrates. In this study, the tongues were taken from female and male quails from day 1 to day 60 after hatching. The salivary glands in quail's tongue comprised the lingual gland, with lateral and medial (paraentoglossal gland) portions that differ in morphology and histochemical staining, and the preglottal gland, with two lateral portions and one medial portion. The medial portion of the preglottal gland, which extended to the row of the laryngeal papillae on each side of the glottis, was described as the laryngeal gland. The salivary glands were present at hatching and their cells were functionally mature and secreted mucins. In quail of all ages, the histochemical reactions revealed that the cytoplasms of the secretory cells of the preglottal, laryngeal and paraentoglossal gland (medial portion of lingual gland) contained sialomucins and weakly sulphated epithelial mucins. Neutral mucins were absent in the paraentoglossal gland, while a small amount of neutral mucins was present in other glands. The mucins with vicinal diol groups, sialomucins and weakly sulphated epithelial mucins were mixed within the secretory cells of all the glands. All the histochemical reactions were restricted to the supranuclear regions of the secretory cells within the lateral portion of the lingual gland. In conclusion, the contents of mucins in the lingual, preglottal and laryngeal glands varied between different age groups, however, no differences in the glands' histochemistry between male and female quails were observed.

Mucins are high molecular weight glycoproteins which constitute the major component of the mucus layer and are produce by many epithelial tissues in vertebrates. Osteopontin (OPN) is an adhesive phosphorylated glycoprotein that is expressed by a broad range of tissues and cells. Although gastric mucins MUC1, MUC5AC, MUC6 and OPN have been widely used in histological studies and in diagnostic pathology in order to diagnose gastric carcinomas, their localizations in the stomach of quail have not yet been studied. In this study, the localizations of MUC1, MUC5AC, MUC6 and OPN in the proventriculus and gizzard of Japanese quail during the post-hatching period were compared at light microscope levels by applying immunohistochemical methods. In all ages studied, the immunoreactivity of MUC5AC was present in the lining epithelium of both folds and superficial proventricular glands in the proventriculus, whereas MUC1, MUC6 and OPN reactivity was found in the oxynticopeptic cells of profound proventricular glands. In addition, some cells in the fold epithelium of the proventriculus showed a positive reaction to OPN. The immunoreactivity of MUC1 in gizzard was different from that of MUC5AC. Although MUC5AC was expressed in the cells of both the surface epithelium and profound glands of the gizzard, MUC1 was only localized in the profound glands of the gizzard. However, MUC6 and OPN immunoreactivity was absent in the gizzard. The results indicated that the differences between the localizations of MUC1, MUC5AC, MUC6 and OPN in quail proventriculus and gizzard may be a reflection of functional differences of stomach parts. Although the biological significances of the expressions of MUC1, MUC5AC, MUC6 and OPN in the quail stomach remains unknown, these notable glycoproteins may be associated with barrier function, host defence, and ⁄ or secretion.

SummaryAn investigation was made as to whether the sexual cycle and pregnancy can be determined by means of vaginal smear in chinchillas. T his study represents the ®rst attem pt to record changes which occur in the pattern of exfoliated cells in chinchilla's vaginal smear during anoestrus, proestrus, oestrus, metoestrus and pregnancy. Fifteen female chinchillas aged from 8 months to 3 years and bred through harem breeding method were used. T he major change during proestrus was an increase in the proportion of super®cial cells, with a corresponding decrease in other cells. Goblet cells were observed in the smears prepared by strong aspiration during this cycle. Neutrophils, small and large intermediates and parabasal cells were not found in the smear during oestrus and the smear consisted of super®cial cells only. In the proportion of neutrophils, small and large intermediates and parabasal cells increased during metoestrus. In addition, metoestrum and foam cells were found in this cycle. In anoestrus; super®cial and parabasal cells were present in small numbers. Also small and large intermediate cells as well as neutrophils were present. Traces of foam and metoestrum cells were found. During pregnancy, neutrophils generally of medium density were present, parabasal; small and large intermediate cells were present at low or medium density, and super®cial cells were only present in trace amounts.