Abstract

The pancreas is an organ of special interest from a medical viewpoint as it is the target of two major diseases; diabetes mellitus and pancreatic cancer. The present study was conducted to investigate the histoarchitecture and histochemical aspects of the exocrine portion of the pancreas in the adult male and female guinea pigs. Eight animals of each sex were used to perform the project. Specimens were either fixed using 10% neutral buffered formalin or Bouin's solution. Tissues sections were stained using different stains such as hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson's Trichrome (MTC), Periodic acid Schiff (PAS), Alcian blue (AB) (pH 2.5), and a combination of the last two stains. The exocrine portion of the pancreas formed up nearly the whole of the pancreas. It was constructed of different-sized lobules of well-formed parenchyma made by densely packed acinar units. The parenchyma provided with well duct system in which most of the interlobular ducts were lined by simple columnar epithelium with goblet cells associated with subepithelial mucous glands. The main (minor pancreatic) duct was surrounded by supporting connective tissue which possessed smooth muscle fibers. Unique histological features of the pancreas in Guinea pigs were recorded such as only the wall of a minor pancreatic duct having smooth muscle fibers that were supportive to the duct till its entrance the duodenal wall and most branches of the duct system were lined by columnar epithelium with goblet cells reacted positively toward both PAS and AB staining procedures. Autonomic ganglia were detected only in the body lobe adjacent to the large and larger interlobular ducts and vessels in the pancreas.