Twenty adult partridges Rhynchotus rufescens were used for morphologic and histological study. The materials destined to the morphologic study were collected and the lengths of the glandular stomach and of the muscular stomach were measured. For the histological study, fragments of the glandular stomach (gastric proventriculus, Ventriculus glandularis) and of the muscular stomach (gastric ventriculus, Ventriculus muscularis) were stained routinely with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Masson’s trichrome stain. Glandular stomach is prolonged, with a fusiform format toward craniocaudalis and for the left. It presents a mean length of 3.20cm in the females and 3.65cm in the males. Gastric proventriculus is composed by several lobes and glands. The mucosa is formed by a simple cubic epithelium, which is much folded. Muscular stomach has the format of a biconvex lens, with 4.30cm and 4.35cm of mean length for the females and male, respectively. The mucosa is formed by folds lined by columnar cells and the mucus that forms the cuticula. There are crypts in the base of the folds. Closely, there is a lamina propria and a thick smooth muscle layer, which is placed according to the format of the organ. A dense portion of connective tissue constitutes the serosa, mixed by some smooth muscle cells.

Twenty adult partridges Rhynchotus rufescens were used to study the morphology of the beak and the tongue. Lengths of the beak and of the tongue were evaluated, and histologic sections of the tongue were stained routinely with hematoxylin-eosin (HE), periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Masson’s trichrome stain, later analyzed and described. The beak of the partridge of both sexes are curved, flat, hard and with a sharp extremity, with mean length of 4.90cm for the females and 4,80 for the males. The tongue is characterized by a triangular format with mean length of 1cm for both sexes, and its extremity is presented as a sharp format. Organization of the tongue tissue presents a stratified squamous epithelium with filiform papillae in all surface, mucous glands with ducts that project to the epithelium surface and a hyaline cartilage in the whole length of the tongue, which lays on the skeletal musculature that is guided in several directions.

Pesq. Vet. Bras. 33(7): 942-948, julho 2013 942 RESUMO.-Glândulas vesiculares são essenciais para a reprodução, pois suas secreções afetam a função espermá-tica. Cobaias (Cavia porcellus) são um excelente modelo experimental para estudo destas glândulas, contudo não existem dados morfológicos e morfométricos durante seu desenvolvimento. Neste estudo a morfologia (projeções das pregas (PP) e altura das células epiteliais (AE) da tú-nica mucosa) e a morfometria (massa (MG), volume (VG), comprimento (CG), largura das porções cranial (LCR), mé-dia (LM) e caudal (LCA)) das glândulas vesiculares foram determinadas em cobaios (N= 25) com uma (S1), três (S3), (Cavia porcellus) are an excellent experimental model for studying vesicular glands, but no morphologic and morphometric data during its development are available. In the present study, the morphology (projections of the folds (PF) and epithelial tissue high (EH) of the mucosa) and the morphometry (mass (GM), volume (GV), length (GC), width of the portions cranial (CRW), medium (MW) and caudal (CAW)) of the vesicular glands were determined at 1, 3, 5, 8, and 11-weeks of age in male guinea pigs (n = 5/age group). In addition, body mass (BM), body length (BL) and height (BH) and organo-somatic index (OSI) were also determined and the simple correlation coefficient (r) was established between the variables. The glands were restricted to the pelvic cavity, and had its interior filled with a semi-solid mass and, after S8, they occupied also the abdominal cavity and the contents were increased significantly. The mucous membrane presented variable folding and simple columnar epithelium. BM, BL and BH increased continuously with age. GM, GV, GC and CAW did not change from 1 to 5-weeks of age, but increased at 8-weeks of age; GM, GV and LCA also increased at 11-weeks of age. OSI and PF increased at 8 and 11-weeks of age and EH at 5, 8 and 11-weeks of age. There was significant (r) between age, body and glandular parameters; OSI and GM at 8 and 11-weeks of age; age and PF, age and EH and between PF and EH. In conclusion, the guinea pigs vesicular glands followed morphology observed in rats and hamsters, but differed in some aspects from others histricomorfs, can be used as experimental model and its morphological and morphometric development can be divided into three phases: 1 to 5-weeks of age, when they are discrete; 6 to 8-weeks of age when they are generally sharp and >8-weeks of age, when there is an intense increase of the secretory capacity.

Morphology and morphometry of

RESUMO -Analisaram-se os níveis de testosterona, o peso corporal, os pesos testiculares relativos e absolutos, a espessura da túnica albugínea, a altura do epitélio germinativo, o diâmetro e o número de figuras de meiose dos túbulos seminíferos dos testículos de 65 codornas machos no período de junho a outubro. As aves foram agrupadas em gaiolas (6 aves/gaiola) e alojadas em um galpão durante todo o período experimental. A análise morfométrica dos testículos foi realizada no período dos 60 aos 180 dias de idade. Os níveis de testosterona plasmática total foram dosados pelo método de radioimunoensaio com anticorpo marcado radiativamente. Conforme resultados da análise morfométrica, a concentração de testosterona circulante influenciou o comportamento do epitélio germinativo do testículo e teve atividade espermatogênica máxima durante o período de 110 a 130 dias de idade, evidenciando que a fase de maior atividade reprodutiva coincide com o início do fotoperíodo crescente, ou seja, no final de agosto ao início de setembro. O pico de testosterona foi anterior à espermatogênese máxima, evidenciando a preparação do sistema reprodutor para a fase proliferativa. Aos 180 dias de idade, ainda que submetidas aos dias longos no mês de outubro, as aves apresentaram baixos níveis de testosterona circulante e regressão de parâmetros testiculares.Palavras-chave: Coturnix coturnix japonica, gametogênese, hormônio esteróide, morfometria, reprodução, testículo Spermatogenesis and testosterone levels influence on reproductive aspects of Japanese quailsABSTRACT -Testosterone levels to the body weight, relative and absolute testes weights, tunica albuginea thickness, germinative epithelium height, diameter and meiosis picture numbers of seminiferous tubules of 65 male quails were evaluated from June to October. The birds were grouped in cages (6 birds/cage) and lodged in a shed during all experimental period. The testis morphometric analysis was carried out from 60 days to 180 days old. The total testosterone plasmatic levels were dosed by radioimmunoassay method with antibody radioactivity marked. The morphometric analysis result showed that testosterone concentrations influenced the bird testis germinal epithelium behavior, with maximum spermatogenic activity during the period of 110 to 130 days old, that demonstrate the phase of mayor reproductive activity coincided with the crescent photoperiod beginning, that is, in the end of August up to September beginning. The testosterone peak was prior to maximum spermatogenesis, to evidence the reproductive system preparation for proliferative phases. At 180 days old, still submitted to long days in October, the birds presented low circulate testosterone levels and testicular parameters regression.