Distribution of Mucoglycoprotein in Developing Murine Nasal Mucosa

Abstract

The nasal mucosa is protected by several complex defense mechanisms of superficial mucus layer. Glycoconjugate, one component of the mucus, has many important biologic functions. It has been shown that the nasal mucosa secretes glycoconjugates mainly by morphological study but the secretory activity of the nasal mucosa in relation to the developmental stage remains to be elucidated. The distribution of mucoglycoprotein in the developing murine nasal mucosa, from gestational day 14 to postnatal day 21, was morphologically studied with hematoxylin & eosin and alcian blue/periodic acid-Schiff(AB-PAS) staining. The results were as follows : 1) The epithelial secretory cells began to be stained with AB-PAS at gestational day 18 and the number of AB positive cells continued to gradually increase after birth. From postnatal day 9 was there marked increase in both the number of AB positive cells & staining intensity. 2) The septal submucosal secretory cells began to be stained with PAS at gestational day 18 and were mainly distributed at the lower portion of the septum. Their number gradually increased after birth. 3) The submucosal secretory cells of the lateral wall were stained with PAS at gestational day 17, with AB-PAS positive cells markedly increasing in number after birth. Alcian blue positive cells were present largely at the maxilloturbinate whereas PAS positive cells at the ethmoturbinate. These findings suggested that the secretory activity started around birth after the aeration of the nasal cavity. These results might serve as the basis of the further detailed morphological study of the developing nasal mucosa.