[Morphological features of the esophagogastric transition zone at fetuses and newborns].

Morphological research of the esophagogastric transition mucosa at 35 fetuses and newborns was done. The esophagogastric transition was lined by high columnar epithelium and mucos glands. At fetuses of 22-24 week gestational age studied zone didn't have any glands. Histochemical features of the epithelium, particularly MUC5AC positive staining, corresponded to cardial type of the Barrett esophagus, defined at adults. We have revealed that mucosa of the esophagogastric transition has gastric origin and arises before birth. We found out the islets of columnar epithelium on the surface of the laminated pavement epithelium, indicated about its uneven development up to the birth. The sites of immature epithelium could be considered as transformation zones both of laminated pavement epithelium or columnar one.

Gastric lipase and pepsinogen during the ontogenesis of rabbit gastric glands.

In rabbit stomach, gastric lipase activity level was found to increase from birth to 30 days old (weaning), and then decreased. In contrast, pepsin activity only appeared between 30 to 45 days old, and increased till to the adult level. It was observed that maturation of gastric glands in cardial mucosa was a downward elongation process from the mitotic cell pool. These mitotic cells were always found in the neck of the gastric glands, corresponding to the bottom of the gland at 6 days old and to the mid-zone of the gland in adult. Location of rabbit gastric lipase (RGL) cells in cardial glands varied with age and was found along the pit of the gastric glands at 6 days old. The extent of this cellular location decreased with age, whereas a second RGL cell zone appeared below the mitotic cell area at 18 and 30 days old. At 45 days old, the pepsinogen cells appeared in the bottom of the gland, and consequently the RGL cells were located in the mid-zone of the gastric glands, between mitotic cells (neck of the gland) and pepsinogen cells (lower part of the gland). Ultrastructural study of cardial gastric glands revealed different morphologies of the secretion granules in the cells along the gastric glands. In 6-day-old rabbits, secretory granules were found uniformly electron dense in the bottom of the glands and were RGL-labeled by the immunogold technique. In the medium part of the glands, granules appeared biphasic, with a clear and a dense part, and RGL labeling was confined to the electron-dense part.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Quantitative microscopic characteristics of cardial glands in in the human esophagus in postnatal ontogenesis]. / Kolichestvennye mikroskopicheskie kharakteristiki kardial'nykh zhelez pishchevoda cheloveka v postnatal'nom ontogeneze.

Microscopical investigation of oesophagus, obtained from corpses of 33 men and 33 women has been carried out (staining with hematoxylin and eosin, van Gieson). The cardial glands have been revealed in 92.4% of cases in the inferior and in 4.6% of cases in the superior third of the oesophageal wall. They have not been revealed in the superior third of the oesophageal wall. They have not been revealed in its medial third. Amount of acini in the section is essentially changeable. In elderly and old persons the ducts of the glands often form ampullar dilatations. The acinar areas on the section remain stable during the greatest++ period of the postnatal ontogenesis and only during old age they decrease slightly. The proper plate of the mucous membrane in the inferior part of the oesophagus in the zone, where the cardial glands are situated, is always thicker than in the area free from the acini. Close interrelations have been revealed between the cardial glands and lymphoid tissue of the oesophageal wall. The intensity of the glandular-lymphoid interrelations is insignificant in newborns and in children of suckling age. It is maximal in persons of mature and elderly age. Remaining at a sufficiently high level, the glandular-lymphoid associations in old persons are manifested in a less degree than in the previous age groups. No difference in organization of the cardial glands has been revealed in the superior and inferior parts of the oesophageal wall, as well as any sex peculiarities.

On the existence and location of cardiac mucosa: an autopsy study in embryos, fetuses, and infants.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of gastric cardiac adenocarcinoma has increased in the last decades. Gaining insight into the pathogenesis of this lesion is hampered by the limited knowledge of the origin and histology of cardiac mucosa (CM). Currently, the location, extent, and even the existence of CM are controversial. AIMS: We studied the development of the gastro-oesophageal junction (GOJ) in embryos, fetuses, and infants to clarify if CM is a normal structure at birth and where it is located. SUBJECTS: Twenty one autopsy cases were evaluated ranging in age from 13 weeks' gestational age (GA) to seven months. METHODS: The distal oesophagus and proximal part of the stomach were embedded entirely. Serial sections were stained with haematoxylin-eosin and alcian blue/periodic acid-Schiff. The following parameters were measured: length of abdominal oesophagus; length of columnar lined oesophagus; length of CM; and distance from CM to angle of His. RESULTS: CM was present in all evaluated sections. Its mean length varied throughout gestation. A maximum value was reached at a GA of 16 weeks (1.2 mm). After term delivery it was very short (0.3-0.6 mm). CM was proximal to, or straddled, the angle of His in all cases. During gestation, the mucin staining pattern of the CM was to a high degree similar to that of the developing pyloric mucosa. CONCLUSIONS: CM develops during pregnancy and is present at birth as a normal structure. If the angle of His is taken as a landmark for the GOJ, CM is located in the distal oesophagus.