The digestive tract plays an important role in the adaptation of animals to living environment. Methods of histology, scanning electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry are used to explore the structure and function of digestive tract in Phrynocephalus vlangalii. Results show that the esophagus is filled of mucosal plica in the inner surface. There are well-developed glands in stomach. The small intestine is an elongated structure with numerous small intestinal villi and more food particles remaining between the folds. Muscular layer in rectum is composed of circular and longitudinal smooth muscle. Immunohistochemistry showed that AQP1 positive cells has expression in esophageal mucosa epithelium and vessels, in the blood vessels of gastric muscle layer, in the villi of small intestine and positively expressed in rectal mucosa and muscle layer. Vip positive cells are mainly distributed in smooth muscle layer of esophagus, in the muscle layer of stomach, in small intestine villi and among rectum. CECR2 positive cells are obviously expressed in muscle layers of the digestive tract. Structure and function results are relate to the plasticity of digestive tract in absorption, secretion, intestinal volume change and electrolyte transport, which would be relevant with the strategy to energy limitation in Phrynocephalus vlangalii.
AN, F. & ZHANG, Y. Morphological and immunohistochemical study of the digestive tract in Phrynocephalus vlangalii. Int. J. Morphol., 43(3):948-953, 2025.
