Morphometric properties and distribution of alpha-actin in the smooth muscle cells (ASMA) of the small intestine during development in chicken

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the morphological characteristics and expression of the α-smooth muscle actin (ASMA) immunohistochemistry during development of the small intestine in broiler chickens. Twenty-four healthy broiler chickens (ROSS 308) in 4 different age groups (6-, 14-, 28- and 52-day-old) were used in this experiment. A slight increase was observed in the weight and length of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum from days 6 to 28, peaked on day 52. The weight and length of jejunum on days 28 and 52, respectively, were significantly higher in female chickens compared with males (P