[Suggestive evidences for a microanatomical relationship between mast cells and nerve in the tongue of the toad Bufo marinus demonstrated by means of high resolution light microscopy].

Mast cells are connective tissue cells, present in all vertebrates and characterized by the metachromatic stain of their granules. Nowadays mast cells have been recognized as a potent cellular source of multiple cytokines, suggesting an important role in immunoregulation and host defense. These cells have been described as preferentially located around blood vessels but more recently close spatial relationship between mast cells and nerves has been reported mostly in mammalian species.

[The tongue mast cells of Bufo marinus L. toad: characterization of glycoconjugates with conventional and lectin methods].

Mast cell populations in mammals have been recognized as morphologically and functionally heterogeneous. In situ characterization of these cell type carbohydrates with conventional histochemical techniques and with lectin histochemistry has not been afforded in amphibian species. Different conventional staining methods for complex carbohydrates and 18 different, biotin or peroxidase conjugated, lectins were used in paraffin embedded Rossman fluid-fixed sections of mid-central region of the toad tongue.

[The glands of the dorso-distal mucosa of the toad Bufo marinus (Amphibia: Anura) tongue: histology and ultrastructure ].

Frequently, the studies on the lingual epithelium ultrastructure in anurans do not show differences between filiform papilae and glandular epithelia in the non-sensory dorsal epithelium. To accomplish the study of glandular epithelium, samples of dorso-distalis mucosae of Bufo marinus tongue were processed for transmission electron microscopy and also semithin sections of the same material were used for light microscopy study. The results showed that the glandular epithelium is constituted by three different types of cells: (1) serous granular secretory cells; (2) mitochondria rich cells (CRM); and (3) ciliated cells.

[New observations on the structure of the lingual filiform papillae epithelium of the toad Bufo marinus L.: Light and transmission electron microscopy study].

There are several inconsistencies and confusions about the microscopic structure in the anurans dorsal, non-sensory, mucosal epithelium of the tongue. The aim of this work was to differentiate the structure of the epithelium covering filiform papillae from the glandular epithelium. For this, samples of the dorsal distal mucosa of Bufo marinus tongue were processed for light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

[Lectin histochemistry of the Bufo marinus L. toad tongue].

Lectin histochemistry at light microscope level was used in the tongue of the cane toad Bufo marinus to determine the distribution of sugar residues in glycoconjugates (GCs) previously localized and characterized by conventional histochemical techniques. Five horseradish-peroxidase (HRP) labeled-lectins, namely Con A, PNA, SBA, UEA-1 and WGS were used. Additionally, neuraminidase (N) treated sections before the staining procedures were used in order to dilucidate the presence of terminal sialic acid (SA).