Postnatal Microanatomy of the Gall bladder in Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to document the postnatal microanatomical features of the gallbladder in four postnatal age groups of guinea pigs. Six  guinea pigs in each age group irrespective of sex were collected as per ethical committee approval and used for the study. After collection, the animals were dissected,gall bladders were removed, cut into small sections and subjected to routine tissue processing methods. The paraffin blocks were cut at 3-4 m thickness and stained with routine and special staining techniques. The wall of the gall bladder consisted of tunica mucosa, submucosa, muscularis and serosa. The tunica mucosa of gall
bladder consisted of irregular folds with primary, secondary and tertiary folds. The tunica mucosa consisted of lining epithelium and lamina propria in all postnatal ages. The lining epithelium was simple, tall columnar epithelium with irregular microvilli at the luminal border. Goblet cells and muscularis mucosa were absent.Lamina propria – submucosa consisted of loose connective tissue with collagen, reticular fibres, fibroblasts,lymphocytes and blood vessels. Tunica muscularis was a fibromuscular coat that consisted of a loose arrangement of smooth muscular layers in longitudinal and circular fashion. Tunica serosa consisted of a loose connective
tissue layer which was covered by a single layer of mesothelium.