期刊名称：Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology
印刷版ISSN：0301-4800
电子版ISSN：1881-7742
出版年度：2005
卷号：51
期号：4
页码：287-291
DOI：10.3177/jnsv.51.287
出版社：Center for Academic Publications Japan
摘要：The aim of this study was to investigate whether a mucus layer covers the surface of various animal feces and, if so, to show the structure and mucin composition of this layer. The freshly excreted feces of mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits and humans were fixed with Carnoy solution, Cross-sections approximately 5μm thick were stained with alcian blue (AB) or the periodic acid Schiff (PAS) reaction, We measured the thickness of the mucus layer on the fecal surface of these sections. The fecal surface was covered with a continuous mucus layer in all specimens. The mucus layers of mice, rats and humans consisted of the alternate stratification of AB-positive and PAS-positive mucin layers. In contrast, the mucus layer consisted of an inner PAS-positive neutral mucin layer and an outer AB-positive acidic mucin layer in guinea pigs and rabbits. The average thicknesses of the mucus layers upon the fecal surfaces for mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits and humans were 19±12, 22±14, 15±4.6, 19±14 and 17±11μcm, respectively. These results demonstrated that the fecal surfaces are covered with continuous mucus layers in rodents, rabbits and humans, with substructures varying among species.
