Abstract: In order to explore the relationship between histological structure and function of sea cucumber Apostichopusjaponicus, histological observation and digestive enzyme activities were conducted to investigate the structure, mucous cell distribution features and function of different intestinal segments in the sea cucumber with body weight of (43.58±6.78)g by routine paraffin tissue section with hematoxylin-eosin (H.E) and alcian blue-peri-odie acid schiff (AB-PAS) staining. The results showed that all of the three intestinal segments consisted of mucosa, submucosa, muscularis and serosa, with the maximal mucosa and muscularis thickness in foregut, significantly higher than that in midgut and hindgut (P<0.05), significantly higher submucosa thickness in hindgut than that in midgut and foregut (P<0.05), without significant difference in the serosa thickness in foregut, midgut and hindgut (P>0.05), and decrease in the height and number of mucosa fold successively from foregut to hindgut. There were four types of mucous cells (type Ⅰ, type Ⅱ, type Ⅲ, and type Ⅳ) in different segments of intestine of the sea cucumber, mainly focusing on type Ⅲ and type Ⅳ. The total mucous cell number was found to be decreased from foregut to hindgut, significantly higher four types of mucous cells in foregut than those in hindgut (P<0.05). Moreover, the activities of trypsin, amylase and alkaline phosphatase all showed decreased levels from the foregut to the hindgut, with significantly higher enzyme activities in foregut than those in hindgut (P<0.05), and there was significant difference in lipase activity between foregut and midgut (P<0.05). These data suggests that the foregut has the strongest digestion and absorption capacity, the midgut is weaker, and the hindgut is the weakest. While the hindgut has a strong ability to secrete acidic mucin and has a certain mucosal immune portection function.
王涵, 王浩娜, 赵业. 刺参肠道组织结构及消化酶活性分析[J]. 大连海洋大学学报, 2022, 37(5): 823-829.
WANG Han, WANG Haona, ZHAO Ye. Histological structure and digestive enzyme activity of intestine in sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus. Journal of Dalian Ocean University, 2022, 37(5): 823-829.
2022, Vol. 37 
