Histological structures of the accessory glands of the digestive system in adult farmed African catfish (Clarias gariepinus B.)

Abstract

The accessory glands of the adult farmed African catfish were studied. The dark brown coloured liver histologically was covered by simple squamous cells. The hepatic parenchyma presented hepatocytes in a diffuse or radial arrangement. Some hepatocytes surrounded the central vein in a rosette–like pattern. The hepatic sinusoids contained erythrocytes and leukocytes. The liver was PAS positive. The club shaped gall bladder was green coloured. It presented simple columnar epithelium containing intra-epithelial lymphocytes. The lamina propria contained loose connective tissue. The diffuse pancreas was histologically seen to span from the borders of the stomach to the proximal intestine. The main pancreatic duct whose luminal surface was modified into mucosal folds emptied into the proximal intestine. The pancreatic parenchyma was mostly of basophilic serous acini containing zymogen granules. Islets of Langerhans were seen interspersed in the majority exocrine cells. These accessory glands are involved in exocrine and endocrine secretions; bile, lipid, and glycogen storage.