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Işbilir F, Özgüden Akkoç CG, Kirman G, Özöner Ö, Özöner MP, Işbilir I, Gülendağ E, Gülaydin A, Arican İ. Seasonal investigation of the macroscopic and microscopic structure of the sinus interdigitalis in Hamdani crossbred sheep (Ovis aries). Vet Med Sci 2024; 10:e1450. [PMID: 38595037 PMCID: PMC11004546 DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The odours of different body parts and structures, such as external genitalia, female urine, ventral tail radix, infraorbital sinus and interdigital sinus, have a strong attractiveness for rams. The sinus interdigitalis is considered an important trail gland for sexual behaviour, as its odour is included in the list of strongly attractive structures for male animals during the breeding season, being important in pheromone production. OBJECTIVES In the present study, the effects of sex and breeding season on the morphological and histological structure of the interdigital gland were investigated in Hamdani crossbred sheep (Ovis aries). METHODS Sinus interdigitalis glands located on the forelimbs and hind limbs were collected from 10 male and 10 female sheep during both breeding and non-breeding seasons. The gland's position in the forelimbs and hind limbs was determined radiographically. The glands were examined macroscopically, histologically and immunohistochemically in both seasons. RESULTS In all animals, the topographic location of the gland between the digits was determined to be distal to the phalanx proximalis and at the level of the phalanx media. The mean weight of the gland in male and female animals was 1.07 ± 0.03 and 1.4 ± 0.11 g, respectively. In general, the results of morphometric measurements were higher during the breeding season, and the increase was more pronounced in female animals. In histological examinations, it was determined that both neck and body parts of the tissues consisted of a structure consisting of a connective tissue capsule at the outermost, dermis, epidermis and lumen underneath. Immunohistochemically staining revealed that oestrogen receptors showed positive immunoreactions only in the intracytoplasmic localization of apocrine sweat glands. In terms of morphological, histological and oestrogen receptors, it was thought that the gland may play a role in sexual communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Işbilir
- Department of AnatomyFaculty of Veterinary MedicineSiirt UniversitySiirtTurkey
| | | | - Günsel Kirman
- Department of Histology and EmbryologyFaculty of Veterinary MedicineSiirt UniversitySiirtTurkey
| | - Özgür Özöner
- Department of PathologyFaculty of Veterinary MedicineSiirt UniversitySiirtTurkey
| | - Merve Pekince Özöner
- Department of Histology and EmbryologyFaculty of Veterinary MedicineSiirt UniversitySiirtTurkey
| | - Ihsan Işbilir
- Department of PathologyFaculty of Veterinary MedicineSiirt UniversitySiirtTurkey
| | - Erman Gülendağ
- Department of BiostatisticsFaculty of Veterinary MedicineSiirt UniversitySiirtTurkey
| | - Ali Gülaydin
- Department of SurgeryFaculty of Veterinary MedicineSiirt UniversitySiirtTurkey
| | - İlker Arican
- Department of AnatomyFaculty of Veterinary MedicineBursa Uludag UniversityBursaTurkey
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Rajagopal T, Mahalakshmi S, Gayathri TR, Muruganantham N, Muthukatturaja M, Rajesh D, Rameshkumar K, Ponmanickam P, Akbarsha MA, Archunan G. Histomorphology and Chemical Constituents of Interdigital Gland of Vembur Sheep, Ovis aries. Vet Sci 2022; 9:647. [PMID: 36423097 PMCID: PMC9698652 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9110647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The interdigital gland is a specialized skin gland located between the digits of Artiodactyla (i.e., even-toed ungulates). Its secretion participates in semiochemical communication, and protects from ultraviolet radiation as well as fungal and bacterial infections of the feet. The present study aimed at finding if there are male-female differences in the anatomy, morphology, and volatile compounds of the interdigital gland of the South Indian breed of Vembur sheep. A total of 24 sheep (12 each of male and female) were spotted at the slaughterhouse and the interdigital gland was removed for examination. The anatomical examination revealed it to resemble a tobacco pipe and to consist of a body, flexure, and excretory duct with an external orifice located at the cleft of the digits. Morphometrically, the interdigital glands differed between males and females. The gland possesses a distinct fibrous capsule, epidermis, and dermis. The fibrous capsule contains several parallel bundles of collagen fibers, nerve fibers, and blood vessels, etc. The epidermis consists of keratinized squamous epithelium formed of stratum basale, stratum granulosum and stratum spinosum. The dermis consists of hair follicles, nerve plexuses, arrector pili muscles, and apocrine and sebaceous glandular lobules. The latter, lined by a simple cuboidal epithelium, are arranged in clusters of acini in the upper portion of the dermis. The apocrine secretory lobules, made up of parenchymal cells, are found in the lower portion of the dermis. The density and diameter of the apocrine and sebaceous secretory lobules were significantly higher in the males than females. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis confirmed the apocrine and sebaceous secretory components. Twenty-three major compounds were identified in the interdigital gland postings of male and female sheep, among which butanoic acid, 2-methylpropanoic acid, 1-heptanol and octadecanoic acid were present only in the male glandular post, whereas octane, 7-hexyl-tridecane, tetradecane, heptadecane and decanoic acid were present only in the female glandular post. Tetradecanol, tetradecanoic acid and hexadecanol peaks, reportedly antibacterial compounds in pronghorn antelopes, were highly prominent in both male and female sheep. Thus, the interdigital gland of Vembur sheep has two major secretory lobules, namely, sebaceous and apocrine, larger in males than females, which secrete a variety chemical compounds that may serve as chemical communication systems and protect the sheep from foot-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thangavel Rajagopal
- Department of Zoology, Thiagarajar College (Autonomous), Madurai 625009, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Selvam Mahalakshmi
- Department of Zoology, Thiagarajar College (Autonomous), Madurai 625009, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | | | | | - Durairaj Rajesh
- Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology (IRSEA), Quartier Salignan, 84400 Apt, France
| | - Kamatchi Rameshkumar
- Department of Zoology, Rajah Serfoji Government College (Autonomous), Thanjavur 613006, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ponnirul Ponmanickam
- Department of Zoology, Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College (Autonomous), Sivakasi 626124, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Mohammad Abdulkader Akbarsha
- Department of Biotechnology & Research Coordinator, National College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli 620001, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Govindaraju Archunan
- Pheromone Technology Lab, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
- Research Dean, Marudupandiyar College, Thanjavur 613403, Tamil Nadu, India
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