A Histological and Lectin Histochemical Study of Human Posterior Lingual Glands

Abstract

A histological and lectin histochemical investigation of the human posterior lingual gland was performed to obtain fundamental findings that would be useful for comparative studies of the anatomy and of salivary gland diseases. Lingual tissues were obtained from six autopsy cases. All specimens were fixed in 10% neutral formalin solution, and paraffin sections were made by the usual method. They were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and PAS-alcian blue pH 2.5. The avidin-biotin peroxidase complex with seven kinds of lectins was used. The posterior lingual glands were composed of two sets of minor salivary glands. Anterior to and around the circumvallate papillae, PAS-positive serous acinar cells formed the posterior deep lingual glands, and posterior to the posterior deep lingual glands, alcian blue pH 2.5-positive mucous acinar cells were present in the posterior superficial lingual glands in all cases. A mixture of serous and mucinous acinar cells was observed in two cases. Many serous acinar cells stained positive to all of the lectins used, and many mucinous cells also stained positive to lectins other than WGA. The results indicated that serous acinar cells contained D-mannose, D-glucose, N-acetyl-galactosamine, D-galactose, L-fucose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and acetyl neuramic acid. The sugar binding pattern of the mucous acinar cells was almost the same, except for N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and/or N-acetyl neuramic acid.