Age dependant histological and histochemical changes in the does mammary gland [2014-09-10]

This study was done on 15 female rabbits (does) . The female rabbits (does) were collected from the Taif governorates. The mammary gland of the young age mainly consisted of lobules of adipose tissues. The primordia of the alveoli consisted of undifferentiated stratified epithelial cells with hyperchromatic nuclei at the basal polygonal cells and dense basophilic nuclei at the superficial cells. The development of the mammary gland started to grow at the pregnant stage and completed at the late stage of pregnancy of the doe. During pregnancy the development of the parenchyma took place fastly and the mammary gland became mature few days before parturition. Myoepithelial cells appeared as elongated cells with long irregular nuclei, centrally located and acidophilic cytoplasm. It situated in the inter alveolar septum. Most of the alveoli in the adult lactating doe lined by simple squamous epithelium and their lumen filled with milk secretions . The lobules of the mammary gland at senile age shrinked and decreased in size and separated to located in the center of the lobules. The epithelium lining of the interlobular duct showed desquamation especially the outermost layer. The alveoli of the shrinked mammary gland lobules showed collapse and the intra lobular ducts showed narrowing the lumen. Some alveoli filled with casiated milk secretion (corpora amylecia). download attachment