Histological observations on the quail oviduct : Histochemical observations on the secretions of the glands and the mucous cells

　鳥類卵管における卵の形成に関しては多くの研究があり，卵管各部と卵の各構成要素との関係はほぼ明らかにされているが，細部については不明な点が残されている. したがって，卵の形成に関係すると考えられる腺と粘液細胞の分泌物について組織化学的観察をおこない， より詳細に卵の形成について明らかにしようと試みた.本報ではそれらの基本的所見を記載した.
　うずら卵管における腺および粘液細胞の分布は，にわとりのそれらに類している. 腺で分泌顆粒のみとめられるのは，漏斗部後位，膨大部，峡部前位の各部のものであった.粘液細胞の発達と分布から，粘液の放出量は，膨大部，峡部，漏斗部，子宮部，腟部の順と考えられる.
　粘液は，漏斗部，膨大部，子宮部では硫酸基を含む酸性粘液多糖類，峡部，腟部では，中性粘液多糖類の性質を示した. これらの粘液物質の蛋白は，漏斗部，膨大部では乏しく，峡部，子宮部ではかなり多いことが示されたが，各部の粘液には，シスチンが合まれていることが示された.
　各部の腺の分泌顆粒は，いずれも中性粘液多糖類ー蛋白複合体であることを示したが，特異的に峡部前位の腺では，その顆粒にシスチンがみとめられた.

Histochemical observations were made on the secretion materials of the mucous cells in the surface epithelium and the glands of the oviduct of the quail. The results obtained are summarized as follows:

1. The histological features were almost similar to the findings on the domestic fowl described by BRADLEY (1928), RICHARDSON (1935) and FUJII et al. (1965). However, the secretion granules were observed in the glands in the posterior infundibulum, magnum and the anterior isthmus. In other glands including so-called chalaziferous gland (RICHARDSON, 1955), secretion granules were not found.

2. From the view of the reactions for the mucopolysaccharides, it was concluded that the mucous cells in the infundibulum, magnum and the uterus contained sulfated, acid mucopolysaccharides, and on the contrary to these, in the isthmus and the vagina neutral mucopolysaccharides.

3. The protein content in the mucosubstances of the mucous cells were observed scanty in the infundibulum and the magnum, and somewhat rich in the isthmus and the uterus. As a specific amino-group, the positive reaction for cystine or cystine-compounds was showed in the mucosubstances in every region.

4. The secretion granules of the glands in the posterior infundibulum, magnum and the anterior isthmus showed several common characters of polysaccharideprotein complex. Specifically, only the secretion granules of the gland in the anterior isthmus presented positive reactions for cystine or cystine-compounds.