A brief note on the morphological and histochemical features of the duodenal glands in 5 species of insectivore.

The duodenal glands of the insectivores studied form a narrow, compact glandular collar immediately distal to the pyloric sphincter. The duodenal glands generally empty into overlying intestinal glands however, in 2 species, Suncus murinus and Talpa europaea, they may empty directly into the intestinal lumen. The glands of all 5 species consist of coiled secretory tubules that show frequent distal branchings. Cells of the secretory tubules are pyramidal in shape and show numerous apical secretory granules. In contrast, cells lining the ducts of the duodenal glands are cuboidal or columnar in shape and generally are smaller than cells of the secretory tubules. The histochemical data indicates that the duodenal glands of the 5 insectivores examined elaborate a neutral mucosubstance.