Abstract
Histomorphological study was conducted on the oesophageal tonsils in six broiler Vigova Super-M ducks of six to eight weeks age. The location of the tonsil was at the junction between oesophagus and proventriculus. In histological sections six to eight isolated tonsillar units were seen in the lamina propria near the base of the oesophageal folds. Each tonsillar unit consisted of a crypt lined by lymphoepithelium and surrounded by dense lymphoid tissue. The tonsillar units were seen encapsulated by connective tissue and composed of many large lymphoid nodules separated by internodular areas. The secretory portion of the mucosal glands of the oesophagus were firmly associated with the lymphoid tissue and the cylindrical epithelium was transformed to lymphoepithelium. The oesophageal tonsils offered immunological protection at the entrance of stomach. Keywords: Oesophageal tonsils, Histomorphology, Ducks
Highlights
In birds, as in mammals, mucosal surfaces are protected by a specialized branch of local immune system called mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)
In histological sections in the tonsillar crypts seen in the bottom of the longitudinal folds of oesophagus, lamina propria was heavily infiltrated with lymphoid tissue and formed a tonsillar unit
In the secretory portion of the oesophageal glands the epithelium was heavily infiltrated with lymphocytes, macrophages and plasma cells and formed LE
Summary
As in mammals, mucosal surfaces are protected by a specialized branch of local immune system called mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). The main component of MALT is gutassociated lymphoid tissue (GALT) seen in digestive system of birds due to the absence of lymph nodes and distinct tonsils in oral cavity (Befus et al, 1980). The oesophageal tonsil is a novel member of the mucosalassociated lymphoid tissue (MALT). It is anatomically located cranial to the stomach, unlike the other parts of the GALT (Nagy et al, 2005). It is continuously exposed to undigested environmental antigens, allergens, food and infectious agents. Researches involving avian GALT are gaining momentum especially in the development of vaccines to be administered orally
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