Light microscopic histochemical and immunohistochemical localisation of sulphated glycosaminoglycans in the rooster comb and wattle tissues.

Comb and wattle tissues, which consist of layers of epidermis, dermis and central connective tissue, are known to contain sulphated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) including dermatan sulphate and chondroitin sulphate-dermatan sulphate copolymers. Little is known about distribution of these CAGs in each tissue. The objective of this study was to localise sulphated GAGS in the comb and wattle tissues from mature roosters. Monoclonal antibodies 6D6, CS-56 and AH12 specific to dermatan sulphate proteoglycan (decorin), chondroitin sulphate and keratan sulphate, respectively, were used. In both tissues, 6D6 epitope was found to be more concentrated in the superficial layer of dermis and the central connective tissue than in the intermediate layer of dermis containing fibromucoid tissue. The staining pattern for 6D6 epitope was similar to that for collagen fibres. In contrast, CS-56 epitope was uniformly distributed in most parts of the dermis and the central connective tissue. The stratum germinativum in the epidermis was the major tissue showing positive staining with AH12, haematoxylin and safranin-O.