Morphology, morphometry, histochemistry and lectin histochemistry of the vagina of the plains viscacha (Lagostomus maximus)

Abstract

The aim of the present work was to describe the morphology of the vagina in Lagostomus maximus and to characterize its epithelial cells using morphometric and histochemical techniques (variations of PAS, Alcian blue and lectin histochemistry). Thirty-five sexually mature adult females were captured in their natural environment during four periods of the year and their genital organs were dissected. The vaginal wall of the viscacha has three tunics: mucosa, muscularis and adventitia or serosa according to the region. The epithelium is stratified in both cranial and caudal regions, but its characteristics vary depending on the physiological state. In anestrous, nonpregnant females have a stratified epithelium of two to three cellular layers with columnar PAS-positive superficial mucous cells. During the follicular phase, the epithelium of the vagina is stratified squamous and cornified. Females at early, middle and term pregnancy have a columnar stratified epithelium with mucous cells. Glycoproteins in the mucous cells were detected using PAS, PA*S, KOH/PA*/BH/PAS; and Alcian blue, pH 0.5, pH 1, pH 2.5 and 0.006 M). Lectin histochemistry showed that UEA-I and RCA-1 lectins reacted strongly or moderately with epithelial cells in all stages analyzed. These results indicate the presence of L-fucose and β-galactose. Binding with other lectins was variable.

A morphological, morphometric and histochemical study of the oviduct in pregnant and non‐pregnant females of the plains viscacha (Lagostomus maximus)

“…) and vagina (Flamini et al . ) that might be associated with a peculiar reproductive physiology. Nevertheless, it must be pointed out that the oviduct has particular anatomical features such as the short length of their fimbriae despite the lack of a recognizable ovarian bursa and the absence of an intra‐uterine portion present in other related rodents such as guinea pigs (Breazile and Brown ).…”

The uropygial gland of the monk parakeet Myiopsitta monachus: Histology, morphogenesis, and evolution within Psittaciformes (Aves)

“…Samples of UGs from adults were also stained using histochemical techniques (three sections per specimen for each technique), including periodic acid Schiff (PAS) for identification of carbohydrates with vicinal diol groups (glycoconjugates and glycogen), alcian blue (AB) at pH 0.5 for identification of sulphated glycoconjugates, AB at pH 1.0 for identification of glycoconjugates with O‐sulphated esters, AB at pH 2.5 for identification of glycoconjugates with carboxyl groups and/or with sulphated esters, and AB‐PAS reaction for acid and neutral mucosubstances (Suvarna et al, ). We used slices of vizcacha ( Lagostomus maximus ) vagina as positive controls (Flamini, Díaz, Barbeito, & Portiansky, ). Lectin‐histochemistry technique (Table , three sections per specimen for each lectin) was performed following a standardized protocol (Zanuzzi, Barbeito, Ortíz, Lozza, & Fontana, ).…”

Histochemistry of the zona pellucida of the ovary of a species with natural polyovulation: Lagostomus maximus (Rodentia, Hystricomorpha, Chinchillidae)

“…As negative controls, slices of ovaries incubated only with PBS were used. As positive controls, sections of vagina from L. maximus were used (Flamini, Díaz, Barbeito, & Portiansky, ).…”

“…Of each ovary, no less than 15 follicles in which the ZP was evident were observed; among them: preantral, secondary, tertiary, polyovulatory and atretic follicles. The intensities of the different techniques were classified according to the following semi‐quantitative scale: 0, unlabelled; 1, light mark; 2, moderate mark; and 3, strong mark, according to the criterion used in previous works (Barbeito, Ortega, Matiller, Gimeno, & Salvetti, ; Boonzaier, Merwe, Bennett, & Kotze, ; Liquori et al, ; Mastrodonato, Mentino, Liquori, & Ferri, ; Plaul, Barbeito, & Díaz, ), including some carried out in the species under study (Flamini et al, ; Tano de la Hoz, Flamini, & Díaz, ).…”