J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 58(3): 428-442, 1957

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A HISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF THE MUCOUS MEMBRANE OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT

I have investigated into and examined with a viewpoint of histochemical analysis the normal adult dog's mucous membranes of the fundic gland and the pyloric gland areas of the stomach and of the small intestine with regard to the mucus, nucleic acid, phosphatase and fibrous tissue component. It is noticed that the mucous membrane of both areas of the fundic and pyloric glands present mucous epithelium, while on the other hand, the epithelium of the mucous membrane of the small intestine contains goblet calls in it. It is also noticed that the accessory cells of the fundic gland and the pyloric gland cells as well as Brunner's gland cells retain mucus showing positive PAS reaction within themselves. The parietal cells of the fundic gland will at the same time act showing a feeble positive. The chief cells of the fundic gland which produce pepsinogen, contain a good deal of ribonuleic acid. The surface epithelial cells of both areas of the fundic and the pyloric glands have not the alkaline phosphatase, while the epithelial cells of the intestinal mucous membrane contain a great deal of it. The acid phosphatase exists in the epithelial cells of the mucous membrane of the small intestine only. The interstitial tissue of the mucous membrane is found to be rich in possession of plenty of the alkaline phosphatase around the glandular tissue and in the neighborhood of zeissl's membrane in case of the areas of the fundic and pyloric glands, while in case of the small intestine it is found rather in large quantities immediately under the surface epithelial cells. And the pyloric cells contain a lot of the alkaline phosphatase. In the fibrous picture brought about by silver impregnation the interstitial tissues of the mucous membrane of the fundic and the pyloric gland areas mainly consist of the collagenous fibre and the interstitial tissues of the small intestines mainly consist of the delicate reticuline fibre or elastic fibre. The chief quantitative component of the mucous membrane of the fundic gland area is composed of the fundic gland tissue and its original and fundamental element, the connective tissue is exceedingly decreased. The small intestines likewise tend to show a similar inclination. According to the results obtained each mucous membrane of the fumdic and pyloric gland areas as well as the small intestines retains their local differences respectively and the mucous membrane of the pyloric gland area is of a mid nature shared between the two mucous membranes of the fundic gland area and the small intestine.
Furthermore, I have taken further steps by experimentally producing in the normal adult dog ulcerative changes through different means and by carefully observing the mucus and fibrous components of the mucous membrane in histological picture of the pyloric gland area and the base of the duodenum. In the case of ulcerative change by infusion of gastric juice through mouth, decrease or total elimination of mucus contained in the pyloric gland cells or Brunner's cells and the slight course of running riot of the collagenous fibre take place in the actual location of erosion or ulcer and in vicinity alone, while the rest of it is normal.
In the pathological change brought about by means of the allergy by ovalbumin and atophan injection, the decreas or total elimination of the mucus contained in the pyloric gland or Brunner's cells occurs in an extensive area, even when much erosion or ulcer is seldom witnessed. Particularly in case of the application of the allergy method by ovalbumin the pathological change very often accompanies a more remarkable revolt of the collagenous fibre running and its multiple production are accompanied. In the case of adapting ligation of the gall duct the change of the mucus locally occurs with the limitation to the place only in which an ulcer or an erosion takes place, the change of which mainly takes place at the duodenum can scarcely be compared though.
The facts shown above as results of my experiments on the dog explicitly tell us that there is a variety in the mechanism of the ulcer formation in accordance with the different methods of its causation even in the same experimental ulcerative change. In short, the ulcer caused by use of the gastric juice shows a kind of the way of outside invasion, and the pathological change brought about by means of the allergy by ovalbumin and the atophan injection denotes the way of inside invasion as well as the outside while it is to be considered that the way of the overall invasion takes place in various degrees in addition to the way of the partial invasion.
(author's abstract)

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