Full Length Research Paper

Comparative histological features of the pancreas in fruit-eating bat (Eidolon-helvum) and pangolin (Manis tricuspis)

Adeeyo O. A^1*, Caxton-Martins E. A², Ofusori D. A³, Ashamu E. A¹, Omotoso E. O¹, Odukoya S. A ² and Yusuf U. A¹

¹Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria.

²Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.

³Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Igbinedion University, Okada, P. M. B 0006, Benin City, Edo State. Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: adeeyoo@yahoo.com.  Tel: +234-805-213-9287.

Accepted 22 May, 2008

   Abstract

Mammals have varying histological features in their gastrointestinal tract to enable them cope with their dietary preferences.  Fruit-eating bat (Eidolon helvum) is a frugivore while Pangolin (Manis tricuspis) is an insectivore, pancreases of the two animals were investigated histologically to know if the histological features of pancreas could have any implication on their dietary preferences. The animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and the pancreases of the two mammals were harvested.  The pancreases were divided into three regions of head, body and tail and fixed in 10% formol saline for histological analysis.  The sections were stained with routine Haematoxylin and Eosin and Halmi’s modified Gomori Aldehyde Fuchsin method.  The results revealed that the pancreas of the bat consisted of acini as well as islet of Langerhans but that of Pangolin contained only acini with no stainable islet of Lange Hans. Despite being a mammal, pangolin still retains some primitive features like third tronchater and convex head. Absence of islet of Langerhans in the pancreas may be one of its primitive features and the islet of Langerhans may be located in other part of gastrointestinal tract higher up than the location of pancreas.  Also, it is possible that pangolin may metabolize glucose via another pathway aside insulin/glucagon mechanism which may not yet be elucidated.

Key words: Pancreas, food preference, histological investigation, pangolin, bat.