Histology and Ultrastructure of the Equine Lingual Tonsil. I. Crypt Epithelium and Associated Structures

Abstract

The microstructural and ultrastructural features of the equine lingual tonsil were studied in five young horses. Located at the root of the tongue it presented an irregular surface with rounded elevations, numerous folds and crypts. Stratified squamous non-keratinized epithelium lining its outer surface was modified by heavy infiltration of lymphoid cells to form reticular epithelium within the crypt. The latter implies a role in initiating and maintaining immune responses to incoming infectious agents and antigens. Lamellated structures resembling Hassall's corpuscle were observed towards the outer surface epithelium. Microplicae were visible by scanning electron microscopy on the surface of both the outer and reticular epithelia. No microvillus cells resembling M cells were observed. The stratum superficiale of the reticular epithelium showed strong affinity for Soybean (SBA), Phosphocarpus tetragonolobus 1 (WBA 1), Ulex europaeus (UEA) and Griffonia simplicifolia 1 isolectin-B4 (GS1-B4). The characteristic lectin binding patterns may be useful for embryological and microbiological investigations. Vimentin filaments were not detected consistent with absence of M cells. Mucus glandular acini in the deeper lamina propria mucosae contained glycogen, acidic, neutral and weakly sulphated mucopolysaccharides. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the layers of the outer surface and reticular epithelia shared characteristic features except the stratum superficiale, which had nuclei of varying shapes and an abundance of cell organelles. A few mast cells with electron lucent granules and myelinated nerve fibres were localized in the deeper portion.

Histomorphology and Scanning Electron Microscopy of the Lingual Tonsil in Goats

“…The stratum basale was heavily infiltrated with lymphoid cells and numerous blood capillaries. These observations concur with the earlier reports of Kumar and Timoney (2005b) in horse and Kumar and Kumar (2005) in goat. Degeneration of epithelial cells and formation of epithelial corpuscles was associated with reticulation of tonsillar epithelium (Perry and Slipka, 1993).…”

“…2). These observations agreed with the findings of Kumar and Timoney (2005b) in horse and Kumar and Kumar (2005) in goats.…”

“…Casteleyn et al, (2010) also made similar observations in the lingual tonsils of sheep. The presence of keratohyaline granules in the stratum superficiale was reported in the nonkeratinized epithelium of lingual tonsil in horse by Kumar and Timoney (2005b) and in goat by Kumar and Kumar (2005).…”

“…These observations agreed with the findings of Kumar and Kumar (2005) in goats. Contrarily, Kumar and Timoney (2005b) in horse and Rebmann and Gasse (2008) in ox observed that the lymphoid tissue was distributed in the form of lymphoid follicles stacked one above the other. As reported by Casteleyn et al, (2007) in sheep, the lingual tonsil was not encapsulated.…”

“…The lingual tonsil was limited to the root of the tongue in sheeps (Cocquyt et al, 2005), horses (Kumar and Timoney, 2005b) and bovines (Cocquyt et al, 2008). This tonsil is involved in processing antigens because of its close association with diffuse lymphoid tissue and high endothelial venules, making it the first line of defense.…”