A Histological and Histochemical Study of the Development of Salivary Glands in the Chick (Gallus Domesticus)

Abstract

The anterior submaxillary glands of the domestic fowl are paired, compound tubular glands. Each is divided into four lobes and each lobe is composed of branching lobules. Secretory acini are distributed along the lobules and each lobule drains into the oral cavity by a separate duct. The lobules originate as ingrowths of the oral epithelium at the 9-day incubation stage. These primordia later increase in number and length, and become branched. The secretory product is produced by both the acinar and duct cells and is demonstrable at the 14-day incubation stage. It is a mucous secretion containing sulfated mucopolysaccharides and mucoproteins. Sialomucin, if present, could not be demonstrated. The secretory product increases in amount within the cells and lumina during the prehatching period. The duct and acinar cells stain positively for ribonucleic acid and alkaline and acid phosphatase, and possess mitochondria and Golgi bodies. The evolution of these substances and organelles parallels cytogenesis and the rate of elaboration of the secretory product. Lipids are present only as components of the cell organelles.

Developmental Changes in Sublingual Salivary Gland of Indian Buffalo during Prenatal and Neonatal Life

“…The myoepithelial cells lining the duct epithelium were spindle shaped with few cytoplasmic processes. Similar finding were reported in chick (Shi and Gibson, 1977).…”

New findings on Developmental Studies of the oropharyngeal Salivary Glands in Japanese Quails (Coutrinx coutrinx japonica)

“…Our prehatching results revealed the presence of the secretory-like product and cell fragment within the lumina at the 13-day-old embryo, which gave negative results with AB or PAS stains in agreement with [35] who assumed that the secretory products appear on the 15th day old chick embryo. Also, [36] detected that acidic secretion was released from the developing proventriculus at the 13th days old chick embryo because of the swallowed albumin stimulation.…”

“…Hence, our results within the sublingual salivary glands indicated that the acini opened directly into a large common wide secretory lumen of the lobule which thus serves as a common excretory duct to open into the oral cavity either may be fused with another lobular common duct or opened separately. The secretory system was lined with the same cells type of the secretory end pieces; simple columnar cells that were transformed to low columnar to nally become strati ed epithelium in agreement to [35,36].…”