Histochemical evaluation of an epithelial layer of the cardiac part gastroesophageal junction mucosa in the different periods of a prenatal ontogenesis of human (part 2)

Abstract

In order to study the quantitative and qualitative composition of mucins of the gastroesophageal zone (GEZ) epithelium during the stages of embryonic and fetal periods of ontogenesis, we conducted morphometric and histochemical studies of the epithelial differon of the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ). The early embryonic period of 5–6 weeks was established to have been observing a gradual increase of neutral and acid mucins secretion in the gastric parts of the GEJ epithelial differon whereas the embryo-fetal or non-fetal period from 7 to 9 weeks was characterized by changing and the structural rearrangement of the epithelial differon and sulfomucins appearance in gastric epithelium and gradual decrease in the production of acid mucins. The early fetal period (10–28 weeks) is characterized by disappearance of acid sialomucins in the enterocytes of the GEZ from 10 to 18 weeks and an increase to 7.65±0.18% of neutral mucins with a drop in their level in the 18-20 week period and a decrease to 24±0.10% at 28 weeks (p<0.001). The late fetal period, from 28 to 38 weeks, was characterized by a complete structural rearrangement of the epithelial differon of the GEZ with the formation of a simple columnar epithelium of the cardiac part of the stomach with incomplete histochemical cytological differentiation of the GEZ gastric epithelium. It was evidenced by the presence of residual acid mucins (sialomucins) that are not typical for mature gastric epithelium.