Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026

Using a Whole-mount Immunohistochemical Method to Study the Innervation of the Biliary Tract in Suncus murinus
Published on: June 15, 2017
Immunohistochemical study of the digestive tract of Oligosarcus hepsetus
Danielle A Vieira-Lopes1, Nadja L Pinheiro, Armando Sales
1Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro 23890-000, Brazil. dmjvieira@hotmail.com
Aim:
To describe the histology of the digestive tract and to investigate the occurrence of endocrine cells in Oligosarcus hepsetus (O. hepsetus).
Methods:
The digestive tract (DT) of O. hepsetus was divided into esophagus, two stomach regions (glandular and non-glandular) and two intestinal regions (anterior and posterior). These specimens were processed by routine histological techniques and stained with hematoxylin-eosin, Gomori's trichrome, periodic acid Schiff (PAS) and Alcian blue (AB). An immunohistochemical method using avidin-biotin-peroxidase was employed.
Results:
The esophagus is lined with a non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium that is reactive to PAS and AB. The stomach has a mucosa lined with a simple columnar epithelium with mucus-secreting cells that are reactive only to PAS. The intestine has a simple columnar epithelium with a brush border and goblet cells that are reactive to PAS and AB. Somatostatin, serotonin and cholecystokinin immunoreactive cells were identified throughout the DT.
Conclusion:
This study revealed adaptations for the species' diet and showed that the distribution and relative frequency of immunoreactive cells are similar to those of other fish.
Related Concept Videos
Histology of the Small Intestine
The intestinal lining features transverse folds called circular folds, each housing fingerlike projections known as intestinal villi. These villi are covered by a layer of simple columnar epithelium, also referred to as...
Histology of the Large Intestine
The innermost mucosa layer comprises simple columnar epithelium, lamina propria, and muscularis mucosae. This layer is primarily populated with absorptive cells, tasked with water absorption, and goblet cells, responsible for secreting mucus to...
Histology of the Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract
The mucosa is sometimes called a mucous membrane due to its mucus-secreting features. This membrane is composed of epithelium, which directly interacts with ingested substances, and the lamina propria, a layer...

