Abstract
Male and female goats of various ages were used in this study. The epidermic specimens were obtained from fifty portions of the body surface. Histological identification of Langerhans cells (L-cells) in these specimens was made by the zinc iodide-osmium (ZIO) method. The results were as follows: 1) The L-cells were selectively stained by a ZIO solution buffered by 0.05M veronal sodium-hydrochloric acid of pH7.6 at 4°C. 2) In thick epidermides, such as at the shoulder and the loin, the L-cells were located at the base of the Malpighian layer, and their long processes extended toward the surface of the epidermis and reached the clear layer. Generally, L-cells located in a highly keratinized portion had more processes than those located in a low keratinized portion. Moreover, the processes of the former branched off remarkably. 3) The L-cells were unevenly distributed in the epidermis, throughout the body. Many L-cells were found at the lip, eyelid, auricle, shoulder, chest, external acourstic meatus, belly, teat and scrotum. The distribution density of the L-cells varied from 632 to 1, 592/mm2 at the dorsal portions. The density was very high at the epithelium of hair follicles. In the sweat glands, the dendritic processes of L-cells extended along the secretory ducts and surrounded them. In general, the number of L-cells tended to increase with age.
