MORPHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF THE GLANDULAE PROFUNDAE PLICAE SEMILUNARES CONJUCTIVAE IN THE DOMESTIC SWINE (SUS SCROFA DOMESTICUS) AND THE WILD HOG (SUS SCROFA FERUS)

Samples of glandulae profundae plicae semilunares (Harderian glands) f rom five domestic swine and five wild hogs were used for this research . The gland samples were fixed in Bouin solution and mounted in paraff in. The paraffin slices were stained with haematoxylin and eosin, acco rding to the periodic-acid-Schiff (PAS) method, with alcian blue (pH 2 .5), with toluidine blue (pH 4.0), and applying a combination of stain ing with alcian blue (pH 2.5) and the PAS method. In domestic swine an d wild hogs, these glands are tubular-alveolar with wide glandular lum ina. A great deal of acid mucopolysaccharides and PAS-positive substan ces were noted within swines' glandular cells, while, in wild hogs, PA S-positive substances were not frequent, acid mucopolysaccharides bein g noted in only a few glandular-acini cells. The appearance of the met achromatic phenomenon was not noted either in domestic swine or in wil d hogs. In domestic swine, the level of acid mucopolysaccharides is pr obably due either to the housing method or to the influence of the alk aline substances that may appear on an eye's mucous conjunctive membra ne during intensive breeding, such that the Harderian glands protect t he mucous membrane by extracting acid mucopolysaccharides.