Cell & Developmental Biology
Open Access

Abstract

Histogenesis of the Vagina of the One-Humped Camel (Camelus Dromedarius): Morphological Evidence of the Histochemical Aspects

Sameh Mohamed Farouk, Abdel-Hamid Kamel Osman and Hussein Eidaroos

The current investigation was carried out to explore the sequence of prenatal histological and histochemical events associating with the morphogenesis of the vagina in dromedary camel. From 135 mm CVRL stage on, the vaginal canal was representing the caudal continuation of the cervical thickening. The vaginal mucosa was thrown into incompletely separated longitudinal folds as a result of incomplete separation of the interplical epithelium. The lamina epithelialis was made up of 2 to 4 layers of polygonal cells. At 185 mm CVRL stage, the vaginal epithelial lining on the summits and sides of the longitudinal folds had been invaginated into the underlying lamina propria resulting in the formation of secondary folds. The musculosa was in the form of interrupted, circular bundles of smooth myocytes that increased in thickness with increasing age. The adventitial vaginal covering was made up of mesenchymal cells and fibroblasts associated with argyrophilic, and fine collagenic fibers with many thin-walled blood vessels. At 210 mm CVRL stage, the muscular coat became differentiated into an inner circular and outer longitudinal layer of isolated bundles of smooth muscle fibers separated by stromal elements. At 465 – 630 mm CVRL stage, the developing vagina showed highly folded mucosa with stratified squamous epithelial lining containing glycogen material which was denser among the superficial epithelial layers. At the end of developmental stages, the lamina epithelialis became stratified squamous non-keratinized epithelium with slightly wavy basement membrane. The vaginal masculosa was differentiated into three layers; inner and outer longitudinal layers and middle circular one of smooth muscle bundles. With increasing age, a gradual increase of acid phosphatase, ATPase and Succenic dehydrogenase (SDH) reaction was observed especially in the epithelial lining and muscular coat of the vagina. A progressive increase of sudanophilic reaction and alkaline phosphatase activity was noticed among the different layers of the vaginal wall through the studied stages.