<b>Quantification of argyrophillic, argentaffin and insulin immunoreactive cells in the small intestine in the opossum <em>Didelphis aurita</em> (Wied-Neuwied, 1826)</b> - doi: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v33i4.8644 <b>Quantification of argyrophillic, argentaffin and insulin immunoreactive cells in the small intestine in the opossum <em>Didelphis aurita</em> (Wied-Neuwied, 1826)</b> - doi: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v33i4.8644

• Main Authors: Sérgio Luis Pinto da Matta, Clovis Andrade Neves, Sirlene Souza Rodrigues, Cláudio César Fonseca, Gláucia Marques Freitas Ribeiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Estadual de Maringá 2011-09-01
• Series: Acta Scientiarum : Biological Sciences
• Subjects: digestive tract; endocrine cells; immunoreactive cells; mammal; marsupial
• Online Access: http://www.periodicos.uem.br/ojs/index.php/ActaSciBiolSci/article/view/8644
• ISSN: 1679-9283; 1807-863X

The objective of this study was to quantify argyrophillic, argentaffin and insulin immunoreactive endocrine cells in the different segments of the small intestine of <em>Didelphis aurita</em> and measure probable differences in the number of these cells between adult and post-pubertal animals. Biological material consisted of ten male and female opossums specimen, divided in two groups according to weigh. The utilized staining techniques were Grimelius, modified Masson-Fontana and direct immunoperoxidase. Results indicated a predominance of argyrophillic cells in the small intestine of opossums from class 1 and 2, with an average of 52.58 and 56.15 cells mm^-2, respectively; of which, the average number of total endocrine cells, argyrophillic and argentaffin cells decreased distally in the intestinal segments of opossums from classes 1 and 2. No significant difference was observed for the insulin immunoreactive cells between the intestinal segments of animals from class 2. A greater number of insulin immunoreactive cells was encountered in the jejunum and ileum of animals from class 2 when compared to the same segment in animals from class 1.<br>The objective of this study was to quantify argyrophillic, argentaffin and insulin immunoreactive endocrine cells in the different segments of the small intestine of <em>Didelphis aurita</em> and measure probable differences in the number of these cells between adult and post-pubertal animals. Biological material consisted of ten male and female opossums specimen, divided in two groups according to weigh. The utilized staining techniques were Grimelius, modified Masson-Fontana and direct immunoperoxidase. Results indicated a predominance of argyrophillic cells in the small intestine of opossums from class 1 and 2, with an average of 52.58 and 56.15 cells mm^-2, respectively; of which, the average number of total endocrine cells, argyrophillic and argentaffin cells decreased distally in the intestinal segments of opossums from classes 1 and 2. No significant difference was observed for the insulin immunoreactive cells between the intestinal segments of animals from class 2. A greater number of insulin immunoreactive cells was encountered in the jejunum and ileum of animals from class 2 when compared to the same segment in animals from class 1.