HISTOMORPHOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE STOMACH OF INDIAN ELEPHANT (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS)

The present study was carried out on three elephant calves to elucidate the general histoarchitecture of stomach of Indian elephant. The stomach was simple and cylindrical with conical diverticulum ventriculi in the anterior border. Grossly the mucosa showed a pale smaller non-glandular region and a larger glandular part, which was folded in cardiac region, pitted in fundic region while smooth in the pyloric region. Cardiac gland area covered nearly half of the stomach and the fundic and pyloric regions formed one-fourth part each of the remaining area. Histologically, the tunica mucosa of the non-glandular region was lined with stratified squamous epithelium whereas that of glandular region was made of simple columnar epithelium. Lamina propria was densely packed with cardiac, fundic or pyloric glands depending on the regions. Diffuse lymphatic tissue was found in the lamina propria of cardiac and fundic regions of stomach. But in the pyloric region diffusely arranged and well organized aggregated lymphatic nodules could be located. Lamina muscularis was relatively thick in all regions and showed inner circular and outer longitudinal layers. The tunica muscularis was very thick and consisted of three distinct layers of smooth muscles. Externally tunica serosa was present. All these features were comparable to those of porcine stomach but the glands in lamina propria were more densely packed and lamina muscularis and tunica muscularis were relatively thicker.