title: The intestine and endocrine pancreas of the African elephant: a histological immunocytochemical and immunofluorescence study.
abstract: Histological, immunocytochemical and immunofluorescence methods were employed to study the intestine and endocrine pancreas of the elephant. The histological findings were in line with those in monogastric mammals. In the mucosa of intestine, endocrine cells were immunoreactive to somatostatin, gastrin, CCK, GIP, secretin, motilin, glucagon and NPY. Nerve cells immunoreactive to somatostatin, substance P, VIP, PHI, NPY, bombesin and CGRP were detected. No immunoreactivity to neurotensin was observed, islets of the pancreas had insulin cells in their cores and glucagon and somatostatin cells in their mantles. The antisera employed failed to demonstrate PP cells in the pancreas, but NPY-immunoreactive cells were present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Aswegen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Noorden
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kotze
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Vos
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Schoeman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004606:Elephants / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007422:Intestines / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000294:innervation; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000294:innervation; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000032:analysis; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000502:physiology; D013019:South Africa
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides