Histological and Histochemical Study of Small Intestine at Neonatal Stage of Cats (Felis catus)

Abstract

This study was occurred to detect histological and histochemical details of small intestine in neonatal cats. Pregnant queens in good health condition collected by hunting and cage in the animal house till their delivery to obtain six kittens from them when kittens reach one week age separated from mothers and euthanized killed. The small intestine was lined by simple columnar epithelium with goblet cells. The general architecture was similar to other mammals with few peculiarities: the shape of the villi varied from leaf-like in the duodenum to pointed in the jejunum and leaf-shaped in the ileum due to the type of feed at this age. Brunner's gland was present in the initial part and caudal of duodenum and the initial part of jejunum act to neutralize the acidity of the food coming from the stomach. Secretion materials from these glands contribute to layer of mucus which was the consistency of slimy, viscoelastic lubricating the lining small intestine. The paneth cells few numbers in this age in the duodenum with rather epithelial cells at this part. The crypts of lieberkuhn were simple branched, coiled tubular glands lined with simple cuboidal in the duodenum to the low columnar epithelium in the jejunum. Payer's patch was present at the termination of jejunum and ileum. Goblet cells and Brunner’s glands secrete mucous into the lumen of small intestine, the reaction of combined PAS–AB indicated the presence of mixed mucin (neutral and acidic) and in the brush border of small intestinal parts.