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Australian Journal of Zoology Australian Journal of Zoology Society
Evolutionary, molecular and comparative zoology
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 55(4)

Changes in tissue nucleic acid content and mucosal morphology during intestinal development in pouch young of the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii eugenii)

R. G. Lentle A D , D. J. Mellor A B , C. Hulls A , M. Birtles C , P. J. Moughan B and K. J. Stafford C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Institute of Food Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

B Riddet Centre, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

C Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

D Corresponding author. Email: r.g.lentle@massey.ac.nz

Australian Journal of Zoology 55(4) 229-236 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO07031
Submitted: 19 May 2007  Accepted: 31 July 2007   Published: 24 September 2007

Abstract

DNA and RNA content and the timing of development of various histological features in the small and large intestine of in-pouch tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii eugenii) of various ages were measured. A significant decline in gut tissue DNA concentrations and increase in the RNA/DNA ratios over 300 days postpartum indicated that the early postnatal increase in gut tissue mass resulted largely from hypertrophy. Mean duodenal and ileal villus height and crypt depth were significantly greater for in-pouch young aged >100 days compared with those <100 days and were significantly greater in the duodenum than in the ileum. Goblet cells appeared more slowly during development and were fewer in number in the duodenal than in the colonic mucosa. The numbers of mucin-secreting duodenal goblet cells were greater in pouch young aged >100 days than in young aged <100 days. The colonic mucosa exhibited no villi or villus-like folds. Colonic crypt depth increased uniformly with age.


Acknowledgements

We dedicate this paper to the memory of a valued colleague, Mervyn Birtles 1948–2006, Histologist of Massey University.


We are particularly grateful to Tamara Diesch of Massey University, and Marion Sandrin, Helene Davesne and Delpine Pernot who contributed while on placement in the Riddet Centre as interns from the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon (INA-PG), France.


The research was conducted with the approval of Massey University Ethics Committee Ethics Committee (approval number 04/94). We gratefully acknowledge the financial support for this study from the Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation (Australia) and the Riddet Centre, Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre and Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health at Massey University.


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