Lingual structural pattern of juvenile Chameleon, Chameleo chameleon

Figures & data

Table 1 Morphometric analysis of different developing stages of Chameleo chameleon in (mm).

	TBL	HL		SVL	TL	BW	FLL	HLL
		Antero-posterior	Dorso-ventral
G1	10.33 ± 0.65	2.72 ± 0.20	1.87 ± 0.16	6.08 ± 0.57	4.90 ± 0.21	2.69 ± 0.10	2.78 ± 0.33	3.37 ± 0.32
G2	13.69 ± 0.78^*	3.14 ± 0.17^*	2.22 ± 0.24	7.71 ± 0.77^*	6.02 ± 0.46	3.12 ± 0.09^*	3.16 ± 0.17	3.73 ± 0.25^*
G3	17.56 ± 0.56^*	3.48 ± 0.44^*	2.98 ± 0.21^*	10.51 ± 0.65^*	7.96 ± 0.54^*	3.52 ± 0.22^*	4.17 ± 0.29^*	4.95 ± 0.17^*

Each result represents the mean ± SE (n = 5). Abbreviations; ^*, Significant at P < 0.05; BW, Body width (in the middle of trunk); FLL, For limb length; HL, Head length (from tip of snout to the corner of the neck); HLL, Hind limb length; SVL, Snout vent length; TBL, Total body length; TL, Tail length. Values with different superscripts within each column are significantly different at P < 0.05.

Fig. 1 Lateral view photomacrographs of different stages of developing Chameleo chameleon.

Fig. 2 (A-C): Photomacrographs of lateral and dorsal views of retracted and protruded tongue of Chameleo chameleon. (Abbreviations: Ac, accelerator linguae; CB: ceratobranchial; E, eye; Hg, hyoglossus; LP, lingual pouch; Tp, tongue pad).

Fig. 3 (A-F): Scanning electron micrograph of dorsal view of tongue of Chameleo chameleon. (Abbreviations: D, Dimple; MS, Muscle strands; LPa; Lingual papillae; LPi, lingual pits; MuS, Mucous secretion; Tp, Tongue pad).

Table 2 Length (μm) and numbers (No./100 μm) of different types of lingual filiform papillae of different developing stages of Chameleo chameleon.

		Finger-like	Clup-shaped	Cubical	Biforked	Multi-branched
G1	No.	27 ± 2.71	14 ± 2.22	9 ± 1.75	10 ± 1.98	8 ± 1.02
	Length	10.5 ± 1.87	12.5 ± 2.01	8 ± 1.47	12 ± 2.01	15 ± 1.45
G2	No.	41 ± 2.46	21 ± 2.19	12 ± 2.14	11 ± 1.12	15 ± 1.88
	Length	15 ± 1.99	13.75 ± 1.97	12.5 ± 1.87	15 ± 1.73	18.75 ± 2.30
G3	No.	32 ± 2.91	13 ± 1.56	15 ± 1.22	8 ± 1.80	17 ± 1.98
	Length	10 ± 1.87	8.75 ± 1.41	7.5 ± 1.43	11.75 ± 1.77	13.75 ± 1.58
F-test		5.981	14.432	8.938	4.713	11.896
P < 0.05		S.	S.	S.	IS.	S.

Each result represents the mean ± SE (n = 5) per each 100 μm.

Fig. 4 Mean numbers of various shapes of lingual filiform papillae of different developing stages of Chameleo chameleon. Each result represents the mean ± SE (n = 5) per each 100 μm.

Fig. 5 Mean length (µm) of various shapes of lingual filiform papillae of different developing stages of Chameleo chameleon. Each result represents the mean ± SE (n = 5) per each 100 μm.

Fig. 6 (A-D): Photomicrograph of histological sections of tongue of Chameleo chameleon. HX-E A. Gross sagittal histological section of tongue pad showing dense distribution of dorsal lingual papillae and lingual glands. B. Sagittal section of medium tongue region. C-D. Transverse histological section of middle cylindrical tongue core showing central cartilaginous compartment ensheathed by connective tissue layer followed by longitudinal and circular muscle layers. (Abbreviations: AcM, Accelerator muscles; Ch, chondrocyte; CILS, central intralingual sheath; CM, circular muscle; CT, connective tissue sheat; EP, enteroglossal process; Epm, epimysium; Hg, hyoglossus muscle; ILS, intralingual sheath; LM, longitudinal muscle; LPa, lingual papillae; MG, mucous gland; PILS, peripheral intralingual sheath; RM, retractor muscle; SM, smooth muscle; Tp, tongue pad).

Fig. 7 (A-C1): Photomicrograph of histological sections of tongue of Chameleo chameleon. HX-E (Abbreviations: BF, Biforked; C, clup-shaped; Cu, cubical; DEp, Dorsal epithelium; F, Finger-like; LPa, lingual papillae; MB; Multi-branched MD, mucous duct; MF, muscle fibers; MG, mucous gland).

Fig. 8 (A-C2): Photomicrograph of histological sections of tongue of Chameleon chameleon. Alcian-PAS. A-A2. G1 showing alcian positive branched alveolar glands distributed in lamina properia (A), PAS positive alveolar and tubular glands (MG) (A1) & alcian positive alveolar gland (A2). B-B2. G2 Showing negative staining alveolar gland (B) and alcian positive alveolar glands (B1 & B2). C-C2. G3 showing alcian positive branched alveolar gland (C) and PAS positive staining of both tubular and branched alveolar glands (C1 &C2). (Abbreviations: AG, alveolar gland; BAG, branched alveolar gland; DEp; Dorsal epithelium; LP, lamina proporia; MD, mucous duct; MG, mucous gland). (*), Positive PAS staining; The arrow head (

) refer to positive alcian blue.

Table 3 Immunoreactivity of CK, SCF and AB/PAS of tongue of G1, G2 and G3 of Chameleo chameleon.

		G1		G2		G3
		CK	SCF	CK	SCF	CK	SCF
DEC	SB	+	−	++	+	+++	+
	SSP	+	+	++	++	+	++
	SG	++	−	+	++	++	+++
	SC	++	+	++	+++	+++	++
IGD		++	−	+++	+++	+	++
FPa		+	+	+++	++	++	+++
		AB	PAS	AB	PAS	AB	PAS
TMG		++	++	+++	++	++	+++
AMG		++	−	++	−	−	+++

Abbreviations; AB, Alcian Blue; AMG, Alveolar mucous gland; CK, Cytokeratin; DEC, Dorsal epithelial cells; FPa, Filiform papillae; IGD, Intertubular glandular ducts; PAS, Periodic Acid-Schiff stain; SB, Stratum basalis; SC, Stratum cornium; SCF, Stem cell factor; SG, Stratum granulosum; SSP, Stratum spinosum; TMG, Tubular mucous gland; −, Negative; +, Weak; ++, Moderate; +++, Intense immunoreaction/stain.

Fig. 9 (A-C1): Photomicrographs of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tongue of Chameleo chameleon, immunohistochemically stained with anti-CK. A-A2. G1. B-B2. G2. C-C2. G3. Note mild cytokeratin reaction in G1 and intense staining in G2 & G3 in lingual mucosa. (Abbreviations; AG, alveolar gland; DEp; Dorsal epithelium; MD, Mucous duct; MG, mucous gland).

Fig. 10 (A-C1): Photomicrographs of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tongue of Chameleo chameleon, immunohistochemically stained with anti-SCF. A-A2. G1. B-B2. G2. C-C2. G3. Note mild stem cell reaction in G1 and moderate staining in G2 & G3 in both lingual mucosa and lingual glands. (Abbreviations: AG, alveolar gland; BAG, branched alveolar gland; DEp; dorsal epithelium; MD, mucous duct; MG, mucous gland).