title: Distribution and histochemical characterization of goblet cells in the nasal cavity of piglets.
abstract: The present study was designed to compare the distribution of goblet cells and the histochemical composition of mucosubstances produced by these cells in the nasal cavity of piglets aged from 1 to 28 days. Serial transverse sections were stained to demonstrate neutral, acidic, and sulfated mucosubstances. Sections located at eight reference levels rostrocaudally in the nasal cavity and defined regions on these sections were used for goblet-cell counting. There was a nonhomogeneous distribution of goblet cells in the nasal cavity of piglets. A rostrocaudal increase in goblet-cell density was observed with the highest densities found in the ventral meatus and on the septum. There was no difference in this pattern of distribution according to age of the piglets. However, age-related differences were observed in the prevalence of goblet cells containing sialomucins, sulfomucins, or both. While sialomucins were prevalent at 1 and 14 days, sulfomucins predominated in the rostral half of the cavity at 28 days. Our results indicate a maturation of the products of secretion with aging in piglets. The affinity of infectious agents for sialylated glycoconjugates and the predominance of sialomucins in the nasal cavity of newborn piglets could account for their greater susceptibility to bacterial infection.
authors.affiliation: GREMIP (Groupe de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses du Porc), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Larochelle
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martineau-Doizé
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D052116:Sialomucins; D013552:Swine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009077:Mucins; D052116:Sialomucins