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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2022; 12(10); 1324; doi: 10.3390/ani12101324

Comparative Histology of C Thyrocytes in Four Domestic Animal Species: Dog, Pig, Horse, and Cattle.

Abstract: The number, morphology, and distribution of C thyrocytes within the thyroid gland vary among species; however, studies in domestic animals are limited. In this study we compared the morphology, distribution pattern, and percentage of C thyrocytes in four domestic species: dogs, pigs, horses, and cattle. Eighty thyroid glands, 20 per species, were examined. C thyrocytes were visualized immunohistochemically with anti-calcitonin rabbit polyclonal antibody alone and combined with the periodic acid Schiff method to simultaneously visualize C thyrocytes with the basement membranes of thyroid follicles. C thyrocyte morphology varied considerably between species, from oval- (dogs) and spindle-shaped (pigs) to polymorphic (cattle and horses). Bovine C thyrocytes demonstrated cytoplasmic protrusion. C thyrocytes were located intrafolliculary (all species), epifollicularly (dogs, horses, cattle), or interfolicularly (cattle). Most porcine and bovine C thyrocytes existed individually whereas canine C thyrocytes usually formed clusters. In horses, they tended to form groups of various shapes and sizes or even rims encompassing whole follicles. In all species, the number of C thyrocyte profiles increased from the periphery to the central area of the thyroid lobe. The mean total fraction of C thyrocytes in the superficial, intermediate, and central areas were as follows: 2.55%, 8.43%, and 12.48% in dogs; 3.81%, 7.66%, and 10.79% in pigs; 1.55%, 7.44%, and 8.87% in horses; and 2.62%, 10.75%, and 12.96% in cattle. No statistical differences in the total number of C thyrocyte profiles were observed among species (8.87% in dogs, 8.58% in cattle, 7.98% in pigs, and 5.83% in horses). Our results indicated that the studied species displayed their own morphological characteristics and distribution pattern of C thyrocytes; however, total numbers of C thyrocyte profiles and their localization within the thyroid lobe are comparable.
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Publication Date: 2022-05-23 PubMed ID: 35625170PubMed Central: PMC9137929DOI: 10.3390/ani12101324Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research explores the differences in number, shape, and distribution of C thyrocytes (a type of cell in the thyroid gland) among domestic animals: dogs, pigs, horses, and cattle. The study finds distinct variations, yet comparable overall quantities and placement within the thyroid gland; suggesting that these species exhibit unique morphological traits despite having similar C thyrocyte profiles.

Experimental Method

  • Researchers analysed eighty thyroid glands, with 20 samples from each of the four species
  • The visualization of C thyrocytes was carried out using immunohistochemical processes with anti-calcitonin rabbit polyclonal antibody
  • The periodic acid Schiff method was also implemented to concurrently observe C thyrocytes alongside the basement membranes of thyroid follicles

Key Findings

  • Shape of C thyrocytes differed among the studied species: dogs had oval-shaped thyrocytes; pigs had spindle-shaped thyrocytes; while those of cattle and horses were polymorphic
  • C thyrocytes were found in three location categories: intrafollicular (across all species), epifollicular (in dogs, horses, cattle), and interfolicular (only in cattle)
  • Dogs’ C thyrocytes typically formed clusters, while pigs and cows usually exhibited individual thyrocytes. Horses, on the other hand, demonstrated groupings of different shapes and sizes, and sometimes even rims that encompassed entire follicles
  • In every species, the quantity of C thyrocyte profiles increased from the periphery to the center of the thyroid lobe
  • The total fraction of C thyrocytes varied within the superficial, intermediate, and central areas of the thyroid lobe

Implications and Conclusions

  • The study’s results signify that whilst different species exhibit distinct morphological characteristics and C thyrocyte distribution patterns, the overall quantities of C thyrocyte profiles and their placement within the thyroid lobe were comparable
  • This research contributes valuable insights to the limited understanding of C thyrocytes’s histoarchitecture in domestic animals, which can potentially support further investigations into species-specific treatments and interventions regarding thyroid conditions

Cite This Article

APA
Sokołowska J, Cywińska A, Puchalska M. (2022). Comparative Histology of C Thyrocytes in Four Domestic Animal Species: Dog, Pig, Horse, and Cattle. Animals (Basel), 12(10), 1324. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12101324

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 10
PII: 1324

Researcher Affiliations

Sokołowska, Justyna
  • Department of Morphological Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland.
Cywińska, Anna
  • Department of Basic and Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland.
Puchalska, Martyna
  • Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health Protection, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Kikuchi S, Torii S, Hosaka M, Yasui T, Gomi H. Expression Diversity in Endocrine Cells and Between Species Revealed by Novel Synthetic Peptide Antibodies Recognizing the Neuroendocrine Protein 7B2. J Histochem Cytochem 2025 Jul-Aug;73(7-8):289-314.
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