[Fine structure of the fundic gland zone epithelium in various eastern African ruminants]

Light- and electron microscopic investigations were conducted on the epithelium of the area glandulae gastricae propriae of the abomasum, using material of 12 East African game ruminants of nine species. The members of the main feeding categories (Hofmann, Stewart 1972): concentrate selector, roughage eater and intermediate feeder did not differ much in the ultrastructure of the fundic stomach epithelium but showed greater differences with respect to the height and shape of the glandular tubules and the arrangement of the epithelial cell types. Specifically the following cell types were observed: mucoid cells, chief cells, parietal cells, seven different endocrine cells, tuft cells and two types of migrating cells. In some epithelial celltypes of the concentrate selector dikdik, cristalloid cytoplasmic inclusions were found.