Abstract: The present study was performed to investigate the morphology and topographic distribution, developmental changes of somatostatin-producing cells in the small intestinal of African ostrich chicks at different ages: 1 day (birth), 45 days, 90 (days) and 334 (control). The results were as follows: Somatostatin (SOM) cells were present in the mucosal layer of whole small intestinal of the African ostrich on all checked days. SOM cells had round and spherical shapes (closed-type cells) or spindle and pyriform shapes (open-type cells). SOM cells were localized preferentially in the duodenum of 90 days old ostrich. The quantity of SOM-IP cells increased gradually after birth until 90 days and peaked on 90 days in the duodenum, meanwhile it decreased gradually after birth until 90 days and footed on 90 days in the jejunal and ileal regions. These results indicated that SOM might be involved in functional and developmental regulation of small intestinal of African ostrich chicks.
Chen Min, Wang Lei, T.T. Liu, Song Hui, H.Z. Liu and K.M. Peng, 2012. Distribution and Age-Related Changes in Somatostatin-Immunopositive Cell in the Small Intestinal of African Ostrich Chicks. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 11: 3506-3511.