Abstract
• Background: These is no consensus in the literature regarding the differentiation of conjunctival goblet cells in vertebrates. • Method: The conjunctival epithelium of the chick was studied before and after hatching in order to demonstrate the morphological evolution of the goblet cells. The entire conjunctiva was processed for light microscopy either on semithin sections stained with toluidine blue-pironine or on traditional sections stained with Alcian blue pH 2.5-PAS. • Results: It was possible to demonstrate that goblet cells underwent remarkable changes in their secretory activity. At 12 h after hatching, isolated Alcian blue-positive cells were present in the fornix. At 24 h after hatching, cells positive for both Alcian blue and PAS were scattered among epithelial cells. Two days after hatching, cells which reacted positively only to PAS were also present. • Conclusion: It is suggested that the differentiation of conjunctival goblet cells occurs first in the fornix, probably due to the particular vascular environment of this region, and then spreads all over the conjunctiva.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams GG, Dilly PN (1989) Differential staining of ocular goblet cells. Eye 3:840–844
Aragona P, Candela V, Caputi AP, Micali A, Puzzolo D, Quintieri M (1987) Effects of a stable analogue of PGE2 (11-deoxy-13,14-didehydro-16(S)-methylester methyl PGE2: FCE 20700) on the secretory processes of conjunctival goblet cells of the rabbit. Exp Eye Res 45:647–654
Aragona P, Candela V, Scullica L (1988) Chemical and histochemical evaluation of tear mucus variation in clinical and experimental conditions. In: Miglior M, Spinelli D, Fabbri G (eds) The lacrimal system. Kugler-Ghedini, Milan, pp 121–124
Aragona P, Puzzolo D, Micali A, Ferreri G (1996) Cytological and morphometric analysis of the conjunctival epithelium in patients with vernal conjunctivitis. Eye 10:82–85
Barishak YR (1992) Embryology of the eye and its adnexae. Dev Ophthalmol 24:1–142
Breithnach R, Spitznas M (1988) Ultrastructure of the paralimbal and juxtacaruncular human conjunctiva. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 226:567–575
Harris MJ, McLeod MJ (1982) Eyelid growth and fusion in fetal mice. A scanning electron microscopic study. Anat Embryol 164:207–220
Hodges RD (1974) The histology of the fowl. Academic Press, London, pp 525–560
Holstein AF, Wulfhekel V (1971) Die Semidünnschnitt-Technik als Grundlage für eine cytologische Beurteilung der Spermatogenese des Menschen. Andrologie 3:65–69
Huang MC, Tseng SCG, Green WR (1984) Distribution of conjunctival goblet cells in normal rabbits. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 25 [Suppl]:322
Huang AJ, Tseng SC, Kenyon KR (1988) Morphogenesis of rat conjunctival goblet cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 29:969–975
Klein RM (1989) Small intestinal cell proliferation during development. In: Lebenthal E (ed) Human gastrointestinal development. Raven Press, New York, pp 367–392
Latkovic S (1979) The ultrastructure of the normal conjunctival epithelium of the guinea pig. III. The bulbar zone, the zone of the fornix and the supranodular zone. Acta Ophthalmol 57:305–320
Miyashita K, Azuma N, Hida T (1990) Morphological and histochemical studies on the development of human conjunctival goblet cells. Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi 94:49–53
Miyashita K, Azuma N, Hida T (1992) Morphological and histochemical studies of goblet cells in developing human conjunctiva. Jpn J Ophthalmol 36:169–174
Moore CP, Wilsman NJ, Nordheim EV, Majors LJ, Collier LL (1987) Density and distribution of canine conjunctival goblet cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 28:1925–1932
Oduntan AO (1992) The inferior conjunctiva of the monkey. Acta Anat (Basel) 143:178–181
Romanoff AL (1960) The avian embryo. Structural and functional development. Macmillan, New York, pp 381–418
Sellheyer K, Spitznas M (1988) Ultrastructural observations on the development of the human conjunctival epithelium. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 226:489–499
Setzer PY, Nichols BA, Dawson CR (1987) Unusual structure of rat conjunctival epithelium. Light and electron microscopy. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 28:531–537
Sheehan DC, Hrapchak BB (1980) Theory and practice of histotechnology. Mosby, St. Louis, p 159
Steuhl KP (1989) Ultrastructure of the conjunctival epithelium. Dev Ophthalmol 19:1–104
Tseng CG, Hirst WL, Farazdaghi M, Green WR (1984) Goblet cell density and vascularization during conjunctival transdifferentiation. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 25:1168–1176
Wei Z-G, Cotsarelis G, Sun T-T, Lavker RM (1995) Label-retaining cells are preferentially located in fornical epithelium: implications on conjunctival epithelial homeostasis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 36:236–246
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Micali, A., Puzzolo, D., Arco, A.M. et al. Morphological differentiation of the conjunctival goblet cells in the chick (Gallus domesticus). Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 235, 717–722 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01880671
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01880671