الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 176 |  |  |
| | | from | 176 | | |
Abstract
The avian salt gland provides an extrarenal pathway for the maintaince of homeostasis since bird kidneys are generally incapable of excreting all the ingested electrolytes. When the avian species are initially exposed to osmotic stress, the nasal glands proliferate and show an increase in the number of secretory cells (hyperplasia) and reorganization of existing ones to reach full differentiation within a few days. The present study aimed to elucidate the structural and functional alterations of the salt glands subsequent to osmotic stress The present study included three groups of female ducks each of which contained nine birds: Control domestic group(Anas platyrhyncha) drinking tap water, Salt-stressed domestic group drinking 1%NaCl solution for two consecutive weeks Non-marine avian species and Wild migratory group (Anas clypeata) Osmotic stress of domestic ducks imposed bydrinking 1% NaCl solution for 2 weeks results in:
Increase body weight gain and the size of salt glands. Activation of salt gland. Adaptive cell proliferation and differentiation of the secretory cells. Increment in the diameter of the secretory lobules. Increment in the length of secretory tubules. Extensive amplification of the basolateral membranes. Numerous well-developed large mitochondria. Elevation of Na-K-ATPase activity. Increment of serum Na, K, Cl uric acid and aldosterone concentrations.Higher Na-K-ATPase activity of medial segment tissue homogenate .