Hülya Kara & Hülya Balkaya

In the present study, we aimed to determine the localization and distribution of entero-endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract by immunohistochemical methods and understand the structure of the glycoproteins elaborated by the epithelium the digestive tract regions by histochemical methods. The nine sparrowhawks were euthanized, and gastrointestinal tract tissues were removed and fixed in formalin. The gastrointestinal tract sections were stained with immunohistochemical and histochemical techniques to evaluate the enteroendocrine cells and histomorphometric analysis. The results showed that the numbers of somatostatin in the ventriculus, gastrin in the proventriculus, serotonin in the duodenum and jejunum immunopositivity are higher, remaining segments of the gastrointestinal tract are detected slight positivity in the glucagon, gastrin, serotonin, and somatostatin. In conclusion, some endocrine cells localization and distribution and histomorphometry, and goblet cell counts were revealed in the gastrointestinal tract of the sparrowhawks.

KEY WORDS: Gastrointestinal tract; Enteroendocrine cells; Sparrowhawk; Morphology.

KARA, H. & BALKAYA, H. A histochemical and immunohistochemical study on the gastrointestinal tract of sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus). Int. J. Morphol., 40(1):242-250, 2022.