Microscopic Characterization of the Jejunal Epithelial Cells of the Pig

Abstract

The microscopic characteristics of the jejunal epithelial cells of the pig affected by age and dietary systems. The current study aimed to explain the ultrastructure of the jejunal epithelial cells of the young and adult male pigs. The jejunum samples were collected from El-Amria abattoir, Alexandria governorate, Egypt. The cellular structure of the jejunum mucosa was examined by the light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Our results describe for the primary time the presence of two kinds of enterocytes within the jejunum by TEM that trusted their cytoplasm electron density and classified as dark and light cells. The light enterocyte had an irregular-shaped nucleus, a number of them with the prominent nucleolus, many mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, ribosome with microvilli on their free surface. While the dark enterocyte had a heterochromatic oval nucleus with prominent nucleolus and mitochondria. Moreover, the mucosa contained goblet cells that were scattered between the absorptive enterocyte, besides, rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER), perinuclear Golgi apparatus, many small vacuoles, and the free ribosome. Apically these cells formed many microvilli that were uniform and regular. The desmosomal junctions were found between the two light enterocytes. The microfold (M) cells were seen and identified within the jejunal mucosa of the pig. Enteroendocrine cells were identified within the lower part of the crypts. The jejunum mucosa had many cellular components like goblet cells, microfold (M) cells, and enteroendocrine cells, and had two kinds of enterocytes within the jejunum in the studied pigs.