title: Morphology and tissue distribution of four kinds of endocrine cells in the digestive tract of the Chinese yellow quail (Coturnix japonica).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the tissue distribution, density, and the morphological characteristics of 4 kinds of endocrine cells in the digestive tract of the Chinese yellow quail (Coturnix japonica).
  
  
  METHODS
  The streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex immunohistochemical method was used to identify the distribution of somatostatin (SS), serotonin (5-HT), gastrin and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in digestive tracts including proventriculus, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and rectum. SPSS 19.0 software was used to perform biological statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the SS and 5-HT secreting cells were mainly distributed in the proventriculus (19.2 +/- 6.9 and 16.1 +/- 3.4 cfu/mm2) and duodenum (2.9 +/- 2.0 and 1.9 +/- 0.6 cfu/mm2). Gastrin and NPY were not detected in each section of the digestive tract. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the quantitative distribution and morphological characteristics of SS and 5-HT secreting cells in the digestive tract between male and female quails.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The distribution and morphological characteristics of endocrine cells were closely related to the physiological functions of different parts in the digestive tract. The preferential location of endocrine cells provides additional information for future studies on the physiological roles of gastrointestinal peptides in the gastrointestinal tract of the Chinese yellow quail.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xiaoxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Kaiyu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Zhengli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Haibo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.forename: Yaodong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055098:Endocrine Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D005755:Gastrins / Q000378:metabolism; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism; D011784:Quail / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D005755:Gastrins; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D012701:Serotonin; D013004:Somatostatin