title: The distribution of mucous secreting cells in the gastrointestinal tracts of three small rodents from Saudi Arabia: Acomys dimidiatus, Meriones rex and Meriones libycus.
abstract: The proportion of mucin phenotypes (which form the protective biofilm of the gastrointestinal tract) differs between intestinal regions. This study examines the distribution of mucin secreting cells in the gastrointestinal tracts of the Eastern spiny mouse (Acomys dimidiatus), King jird (Meriones rex) and Libyan jird (Meriones libycus), which inhabit the dry and hot deserts of Saudi Arabia. Intestinal tract samples were processed to wax and tissue sections stained with Alcian Blue-Periodic Acid Schiff (AB-PAS) and High Iron Diamine-Alcian Blue (HID-AB) in order to determine different mucin phenotypes by quantitative analysis. Mixed mucin secreting cells (combined neutral and acid) was the predominant mucin secreting cell type observed throughout the gastrointestinal tract in all species. Acid mucin secreting goblet cells were mainly located in the colon. A. dimidiatus presented with significantly more total sialo than sulfomucin secreting cells while the opposite was true for both Meriones species. The distribution of mucin secreting cells is therefore similar to previously reported results for small mammals not living under arid conditions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town 8000, South Africa.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town 8000, South Africa.
authors.forename: Sumine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marais
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town 8000, South Africa.
authors.forename: Jacklynn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory 7925, South Africa. Electronic address: elizabeth.vandermerwe@uct.ac.za.
authors.forename: Elizabeth L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: van der Merwe
authors.affiliation: King Saud University (KSU) Mammals Research Chair, Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; Saudi Wildlife Authority, PO Box 61681, Riyadh 11575, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: Aziz99@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Abdulaziz N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Alagaili
authors.affiliation: King Saud University (KSU) Mammals Research Chair, Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: obmkkwrc@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Osama B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.affiliation: King Saud University (KSU) Mammals Research Chair, Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa. Electronic address: ncbennet@zoology.up.ac.za.
authors.forename: Nigel C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town 8000, South Africa. Electronic address: shk@sun.ac.za.
authors.forename: Sanet H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kotzé
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000166:cytology*; D005849:Gerbillinae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: Acomys; Gastrointestinal tract; Histochemistry; Meriones; Mucins