title: Ultrastructural characterization of the epithelium that constitutes the cardiac gland epithelial 'honeycomb' in the stomach of the babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa).
abstract: The cardiac gland region in the stomachs of eleven babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa) from zoological collections was studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. An array of tightly-packed, thin-walled tubes, closely resembling a 'honeycomb' covered this region. The tubes were between twelve and sixteen cells (200 and 260 microm) in height and usually two cells (8-20 microm) in thickness. Mucus granules present in the cytoplasm of cells in the lower half of the tube were largely absent from the ad-luminal half of the tube. Instead, open goblet-like structures lined the tube, apparently giving additional strength. Bacteria were present in the lumen of each thin-walled tube and in the underlying gland pit. The evidence suggests that this large area of the babirusa stomach may be structured to form a stable, self-refreshing environment to house and multiply autochthonous commensal bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Summerhall, Scotland, UK. alastair.macdonald@ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: Alastair A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Signorella
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000166:cytology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D013552:Swine / Q000033:anatomy & histology*