Figure 8

Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase distribution in the gastric pit (GP), fundic gland (FG), small intestinal villus (SIV), and colonic epithelium (CEP) in tissue sections from O. cuniculus (A–D) and L. yarkandensis (E–H). (A–H) Representative immunohistochemistry of the Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase distribution in the gastric pit, fundic gland, small intestinal villus, and colonic epithelium of O. cuniculus and L. yarkandensis. Paraffin sections (6 μm) of gastrointestinal tract tissue from O. cuniculus and L. yarkandensis. Sections were incubated with an anti-Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase antibody. Scale bar for A-H: 50 μm. (I-L) Densitometric analysis of all immunohistochemical results for the gastric pit, fundic gland, small intestinal villus, and colonic epithelium from O. cuniculus and L. yarkandensis (n = 6 animals per group). Ns: p > 0.05; *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001. In O. cuniculus, basolateral labelling was very weak/absent in the gastric pit (A), strong labelling was detected in parietal cells of the fundic gland (B), and weak labelling was detected in the small intestinal villus (C) and colonic epithelium (D). In contrast, weak labelling was detected in parietal cells of the fundic gland (F), and strong labelling was detected in the basolateral membranes of surface-absorptive cells in the small intestinal villus (G) and colonic epithelium (H) of L. yarkandensis. The densitometric values show no difference in the Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase protein abundance in the gastric pit (I) between O. cuniculus and L. yarkandensis but lower Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase protein abundance in parietal cells of the fundic gland (J) and higher Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase protein abundance in the small intestinal villus (K) and colonic epithelium (L) of L. yarkandensis than those in O. cuniculus.