Comparative anatomical, histological and histochemical study of the liver in three species of birds

Abstract EN

The aim of this study is to determine the anatomical features and histological structures as well as some histochemical aspects of the liver of three species of birds that differ in their nutrition, habitat and classification, by using light microscope.

The birds were Larus canus.

Agaporins fischeri and Numida meleagris.

The results showed that the liver of the three species of birds was a dense, large and bilobed organ, it differed in size, color, lobes shape and presence of secondary lobes among the three species.

The liver tissue of the three species consisted of hepatocytes which were radially arranged around the central veins interconnecting laminae of one to two cell thickness.

The hepatocytes differed in size among the three species.

Lumen of sinusoids contained mainly erythrocytes, macrophages and lining by the Kupffer cells.

Histochemically, the hepatic cells in the three species of birds were weakly positive to periodic acid Schiff and alcian blue reactions, while they were negative to bromophenol blue reaction and they were moderately positive to Sudan black B reaction.