title: Peripolar cells form the majority of granulated cells in the kidneys of antelopes and goats.
abstract: Investigation of renal cortical tissue in 5 adult hartebeests (Alcelaphus buselaphus cokii), 3 impalas (Aepyceros melampus), 1 defassa waterbuck (Kobus defassa) and 5 goats (Capra hircus) revealed large granulated peripolar cells at the junction between the parietal and the visceral epithelial layers of the renal corpuscles. All four animal species under study contained 1 or more peripolar cells for the majority of renal corpuscles sectioned through the vascular pole. In the hartebeests, up to 3 parietal cells and the first podocyte were granulated. Peripolar cells contained intracytoplasmic electron-dense membrane-bounded granules-200-2,800 nm in diameter in the hartebeests, 200-1,740 nm in the impalas, 150-950 nm in the waterbuck and 200-2,140 nm in the goats. Epithelioid granulated juxtaglomerular cells around afferent and efferent arterioles were rarely seen. When observed, they contained smaller granules than those of the peripolar cells. This distribution suggests that peripolar cells play a role in the regulation of body electrolytes and water, probably acting in concert with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Mbassa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000866:Antelopes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001188:Artiodactyla / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006041:Goats / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013045:Species Specificity