Histochemical study of mucopolysaccharides in goblet cells of the chicken oviduct

　鶏の卵管粘膜は，その全長を通じて一様に柱形繊毛細胞と杯細胞より成る単層上皮によって覆れている.この杯細胞は卵管の各部位において，形や分布が著しく特徴的であることから，分泌粘液にも差があることが推察される.そこで卵管各部の杯細胞の粘液物質を組織化学的に調べた.
　卵管漏斗部の杯細胞は非硫酸化ーと硫酸化粘液多糖体を含み， とくに非硫酸化粘液多糖体に富むようである.膨大部(卵白分泌部)の杯細胞は漏斗部に似て，非硫酸化ーと硫酸化粘液多糖体の複合より成るが，末端に移行するに従い硫酸化粘液多糖体が増してくる.膨大部末端ではほとんど硫酸化粘液多糖体のみより成る.峡部の杯細胞は膨大部のそれとは全く異り中性多糖体を含む.子宮部(卵穀粉路部)の杯細胞は峡部に 似て中性多糖体を持つようであるが，峡部に比べて量的には少い.腹部の杯細胞は非硫酸化粘海多糖体を持つ.以上のごとく卵管上皮の杯細胞は，卵管の各部において形態的のみならず分泌物質の組織化学的組成において異ることが知られた.

Mucopolysaccharides of the goblet cells in the mucosa of the chicken oviduct were examined histochemically. The results obtained are summarized as follows.

1. The goblet cells of the oviducal mucosa were different not only in the appearance and arrangement in the epithelium, but also in the histochemical properties of mucin they contained, depending on the portion of the oviduct they were located.

2. The goblet cells of the infundibulum and those of the magnum manifested essentially the same histochemical reactions. They were periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-reactive, alcianophilic, and metachromatic in character. These characters were more pronounced in the magnum than in the infundibulum. From these findings and the results of methylation and saponification following methylation, it was concluded that the mucin substrates of the goblet cells were compounds of nonsulfated and sulfated acid mucopolysaccharides. The goblet cells of the infundibulum were mainly composed of nonsulfated mucin, and those of the magnum of sulfated mucin.

3. The goblet cells of the isthmus were PAS-reactive, diastase-resistant, and nonbasophilic in character. Their PAS-reactivity was blocked by phenylhydrazine. They were stained red by the alcian blue-PAS (AB-P AS) method. Accordingly, the mucin substrates of these cells were identified as neutral mucopolysaccharides.

4. The goblet cells of the uterus showed the same histochemical reactions as those of the isthmus, although their reactions were less remarkable than those exhibited by the latter. Therefore, the mucin substrates of the uterin goblet cells were probably neutral mucopolysaccharides. The goblet cells at the anterior narrow region of the uterus showed the presence of acid mucopolysaccharides.

5. The goblet cells of the vagina were strongly PAS-reactive, alcianophilic, and metachromatic in character, but had no affinity for aldehyde fuchsin. The mucin substrates of these cells seemed to be nonsulfated acid mucopolysaccharides.