Morphology of the vomeronasal glands in developing female rabbit a histological : histochemical and ultrastructural study

Abstract EN

The vomeronasal glands are located in the lamina propria of the vomeronasal organ.

Their secretion is essential for pheromones contacting vomeronasal organ chemoreceptors.

This study deals with the structural characteristics of the vomeronasal glands (VNGs) of the rabbit during the postnatal developing period using general histological, hislochemical and ultrastructural techniques.

Histochemically, the developing VNGs were PAS positive and AB negative and contained neutral mucin.

Ultrastructurally the developing VNGs exhibited electron dense cytoplasm containing modest Golgi bodies, basal rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and secretory granules of three types.

Electron dense homogeneous granules (type I), granules of moderate electron density and granular contents (type II) and partially or completely electron lucent granules (type III) were detected.

With development, the mucin contents of the VNGs gradually decreased to become restricted to the apical surface of the cytoplasm in developed animals (two months) and type III granules detected by EM, increased gradually to become most numerous in developed animals.

The present findings showed that the rabbit VNGs were active in secretion at birth.

It also suggests that the VNGs change their morphological characteristics and composition of their contents with development to those of serous cells.