Morfologia das glândulas salivares maiores em cutias (Dasyprocta leporina Linnaeus, 1766)

Abstract

Studies on wild animal morphology serve as theoretical basis for the management and conservation of different species, because they provide necessary information for measures to keep these animals in captivity, in their natural habitat or even to reintroduce them into their original habitat. Studies about the morphology of the red-rumped agouti, Dasyprocta leporina, approach the various organic systems, but not a single study refers to topography and structure arrangement of their salivary glands. Thus, this paper aimed to gross and microscopic description of the larger salivary glands of red-rumped agouti. Ten adult D. leporina were used to study the macroscopic aspect of the glands, as well as the microscopic aspects with light microscopy, scanning and transmission electronic microscopy. Four larger salivary glands were identified: parotid glands, mandibular glands, zygomatic glands and sublingual glands. The tubuloacinar glands contained in their parenchyma ducts of extremely varied sizes. With exception of the strictly serous parotid glands, the others were mixed, and only the mandibular glands had granulous ducts. The red-rumped agouti with four pairs of larger salivary glands may be a model for studies concerning the anatomical changes in rodents for adaptation to various habitats. INDEX TERMS: Salivary glands, rodent, red-rumped agouti, Dasyprocta aguti, macro and microscopy.

Morphology of the major salivary glands of Spix's Yellow‐Toothed Cavys (Galea spixii Wagler, 1831)

“…The zygomatic gland of the Spix's Yellow‐Toothed Cavy is lobulated, with acini of predominantly mucous nature, pyramidal shape cells, and ducts that collect the acinar secretions to a main duct. The characteristics of acini were also defined as large and tubulo‐acinar in some rodent species (Oliveira Júnior et al, 2016; Ribeiro et al, 2007), domestic carnivores (Al‐Gailani et al, 1981; Fossum, 2015), and marsupials (Vieira et al, 2015). This structural organization suggests the relevance of the organ in the production of saliva, as is established for the other major salivary glands.…”

“…Studies with TEM in major salivary glands of agouti ( Dasyprocta leporina ) describe serous acini of the parotid glands as structures with a large amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum in the basal region arranged around the cell nucleus and apical electron‐dense secretion granules. These studies found that the acinar cells varied between cubic and pyramidal in the zygomatic gland and the sublingual acinar cells were delimited by connective septa (Oliveira Júnior et al, 2016). These characterizations made for agouti corroborate with what was observed in the Spix's Yellow‐Toothed Cavy regarding the shape of the cells and the cytoplasmic organelles observed, with the exception of cells with cuboid shape in the glands of the zygomatic and sublingual glands.…”

“…The cuts were subjected to histochemical reactions, using: (I) Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) counterstained with haematoxylin, (II) Alcian Blue (AB) pH 2.5 and (III) Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) associated with Alcian Blue (pH 2.5) (AB + PAS) (Oliveira Júnior et al, 2016). The characterization of the histochemical pattern of mucins was based on the organic components of the secretions of the secretory units, classifying the histochemical reactions as negative or positive.…”

Anatomical characteristics of the major salivary glands of puma (Puma concolor Linnaeus, 1771)

“…In Brazil, the species began to be considered vulnerable from 2014 on the latest list of endangered animals, made by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio). Thus, studies on the comparative anatomy of wild animals have gained prominence in recent years (6,7) , mainly due to the degradation and fragmentation of natural environments (8) , which has resulted in the extinction of numerous species. In this context, descriptive anatomical studies of wild animals are fundamental because they provide important basic information about the biology of these species (9,10) .…”