Figure 4

Histochemical analysis of the oviductal magnum from juvenile (10-week-old) and egg-laying adult (30-week-old) chickens. Oviductal magnum sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE; a, d), Toluidine blue (TB; b, e), and Periodic acid Schiff's (PAS) solution (c, f) from juveniles (a-c) and adults (d-f). In the juvenile oviduct, TB strongly stained in the surface epithelium (b) but PAS staining was not observed (c). In the adult oviductal magnum, TB was strongly bound toward the outer layer of the oviductal magnum. This suggests that TB was bound to the processed egg-white that were ready to be secreted into the lumen. PAS was broadly stained to both layers of the oviductal magnum. E, luminal surface of the oviductal epithelium; Il, inner layer of the tubular gland; Ml, muscularis layer; Ol, outer layer of the tubular gland; S, stroma; Tg, tubular gland. Bars = 50 μm.