ACTA VETERINARIA ET ZOOTECHNICA SINICA ›› 2014, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (12): 2043-2049.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2014.12.019

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Histological Characteristic of Chicken Nasal Cavity and the Distribution of Nasal-associated Lymphoid Tissue

YAN Meng-fei,KANG Hai-hong,YANG Qian*   

  1. (Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology and Biochemistry of Ministry of Agriculture,Nanjing Agricultural University,Nanjing 210095,China)
  • Received:2014-04-09 Online:2014-12-23 Published:2014-12-23

Abstract:

This experiment was conducted to study the histological characteristic of chicken nasal cavity and the distribution of nasal-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT) by histological method.White Leghorn chickens of 3-day-old were selected and slaughtered on day 10,21,35 and 60,and the whole nasal cavities were isolated.After being fixed in Bouin′s solution for 48 h,a part of nasal cavity tissues were cut consecutively with the vertical section and cross-section and then observed under a stereoscopic microscope for anatomical analysis.The other parts of nasal cavity tissues were used for histological observation:the chick nasal cavities of 10-day-old were embedded in paraffin directly while that of 21-day-old and above were decalcified by formic acid and then embedded in paraffin.Five cross sections of all chicken nasal cavities along vertical axis were selected and stained with hematoxylin-eosin.Results showed that the most space of chicken nasal cavity was occupied by nasal turbinate.The forepart of nasal mucous membrane was covered by stratified squamous epithelium.In the middle part of nasal cavity,a transition to pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium was observed.A large number of secretory glands consisted of goblet cells were located under the nasal mucosal epithelium.The surface of concha nasalis caudalis was covered by simple epithelium consisted of olfactory cells.NALTs were located in the postmedian part of nasal cavity,the bottom of nasal septum and the both sides of choanal cleft.In addition,there were also some diffuse lymphoid tissues located under the epithelium of the concha nasalis media and the walls of nasal cavity.Theses results indicates that chicken has abundant NALTs,suggesting the middle and posterior of nasal cavity are the main delivery site and induction site for chicken nasal immunization.

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