Published in Scientific Works. Series C. Veterinary Medicine, Vol. LXII, Issue 2
Written by Iuliana CAZIMIR, Cristina-Ana CONSTANTINESCU, Maria Isabella RADU
The mucosa of the ruminal wall was analyzed and measured in the different areas. First involved in this study was the ventral sac mucosa, and after were the pillars’ region and the intermediary area between the reticulum and the rumen. Sheep from the white variety of the indigenous ovine breed Ţurcană (Ovis aries) were used, the pieces of interest being collected and processed using conventional histological techniques, obtaining numerous seriated slides. After they were photographed and analyzed, we have been able to identify in the structure of the mucosa a cornified stratified squamous epithelium, lamina propria, and a densification of connective fibers. All three components of the mucosa form the ruminal papillae which reach the maximum height in the ventral sac area. We tried to classify them in organized groups, according to their average shape, length and width, by the thickness of the epithelium that lines each papilla, and the proportion occupied by the connective axis. In the area of the pillars, where the ruminal papillae are missing, the mucosa has the tendency to form extremely reduced folds, based on the thickening of the epithelium, that will subsequently attract the lamina propria. In the rumino-reticular junctional area, the papillae are reduced to the average length of 496 μm. The connective densification disappears, and in the deep layer of the mucosa, muscle fibers that detach from the superficial layer of the tunica muscularis and that will constitute the future papillary muscle, can be observed.
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