The histochemistry of mucosubstances in ferret salivary glands

The mucosubstances of the major salivary glands of the ferret were analysed using different histochemical reactions. Almost all the parotid acinar cells had sialic acid-containing mucus. There were a very few cells, the granules of which gave reactions for sulphated mucins. Submandibular gland mucus was sulphated in the major parts of the gland. There were occasional cells which gave reactions to carboxylated mucin. The sublingual and the molar glands had tubules which had 2 types of mucous cells. The central cells contained sulphated mucins and the peripheral ones had carboxylated mucins. The mucus in the tubules of the zygomatic gland was predominantly sulphated. In the sublingual, molar as well as in the zygomatic, there were granulated cells scattered among the tubules. Some of these granules were found to contain carboxylated and the others neutral mucins. No sexual dimorphism was observed in any of the glands among the 4 male and 4 female ferrets used in this study.