ISSN XXXX XXXX © 2017 IJESC
Research Article
Volume 7 Issue No. 2
A Histological Study on the Nephrons in Tor tor of Narmada River
near Hoshangabad Bhopal M.P India
Mudabir Ahmad Qurashi
Pinnacle Bio medical Research Institutte Bhopal,
Research Center,Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Depart ment of Biosciences, Faculty of Zoology, Mewar University Ch ittorgrah Rajasthan, India
Abstract:
Tor tor (Mahseer) is a common cyprinid fish also known as Tor barb. It is found in fast flowing rivers and streams with rocky
bottom. Tor tor is found in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan .In India it is found in Narmada river . Its population is rapidly
declining in its native range due to overfishing. This is one of the commercially important fishes found in Narmada River .This
species is normally a large sized fish,typically reaching a size of 36cm and weighing up to 25 to 27kg ,although specimens as big as
54kg have also been reported in some rare cases . The vertebrate kidney is the main osmoregulatory organ maintaining ho meostasis.
A histological study was carried out on the nephron of Tor tor for the first time . A total number of ten adult fish for Narmada
fishing region were subjected to this investigation . The kid neys were removed and immed iately fixed in 10% buffered formalin for
24 hours .Then , they were transferred into the tissue processor. The Paraffin blocks were made and thin sections of five microns
were cut . The sections were subjected to staining by Haemato xy lin & Eosin ,they were studied under light microscope and
photomicrographs were taken . The different parts of nephron were renal corpuscles , two types of proximal convoluted tubules , an
intermediate segement and collect ing ducts . There were no clear evidences for distal convoluted tubules and henle loops.
Keywords: Histology, Kidney, Nephron, Tor tor.
Introduction
Due to high content of necessary aminoacids and mineral
elements such as calciu m , phosphorus and iodine , fish protein
provides about 20 percents of animal protein needs of human
beings. Mahaseer (Tor tor) is a cyprinid fish found in Narmada
River . It is typically a large sized fish , reaching up to 36cm in
length and normally weighing up to 25 to 27kg.
Figure1. Mahseer (Tor tor)
Tor tor has a lifespan of about 5 to 7years .The individuals of
this species attain sexual maturity between 3 to 5 years of age
.This fish is one of the most commercially important fishes of
International Journal of Engineering Science and Computing, February 2017
Narmada River.It used to be very common and is harvested
commercially.
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In different groups of fishes (Elasmobranchi, Acipeneseridae,
Teleostei) the adaptation to freshwater or seawater environment
may lead to diverse changes of nephron structure. The kidneys
of euryhaline teleosts capable of living in freshwater may be
aglomerular , as are those of some marine fishes . In contrast ,
the diameter of glo meruli in some marine fishes is larger than
in true freshwater fishes(Gambaryan ,1994).In teleosts kidneys
are mesonephric .
and immediately fixed in 10% buffered formalin for 24 hours
.Then , they were transferred into the tissue processor . Paraffin
blocks were made and thin sections of five microns were cut .
The sections were subjected to staining by Haemato xylin &
Eosin . They were studied under the light microscope and
photomicrographs were taken.
In chondrostei and teleostei a clear zonation is not apparent .
Hqwever renal structures apparently are not distributed at
random . Frequently, the glomeru li are located in vicinity of the
collecting duct system even though a close contact point
between the distal segment and the vascular pole is lacking in
differentiated nephron . Because the teleost kidney is
presumably phylogenetically younger than zonate kidney of the
ancient Polypetridae , the lack of the zonation and the lack of
contact points ,as well as the disappearance of nephron
segments in the advanced fishes ,is a clear evidence of
regressive processes in the evolutionary line lead ing to modern
teleosts (Ostrander,2000). The study is performed keep ing in
view the important role and function of kidneys in fishes.
The kidney of Tor tor is located in a retroperitoneal portion
against the venteral aspect of vertebral column .It is dark brown
extending through out the length of the body cavity . A smooth
connective tissue called renal capsule sorrounds the kidneys .
In Tor tor ,cortex , medulla and lobulation are not present and
kidneys are divided into two portions : anterior head kidney and
posterior excreatory kidney . The head kidney is an important
haematopoietic organ and has morphological similarities with
the bone marrow in h igher vertebrates . All developemental
stages of lymphoidal cells are present within the haemopoietic
tissue. Excreatory kidney is composed of nephrons that are
typically small and consist of renal corpuscles and renal
tubules. Renal corpuscle includes glomerulus and Bowmans
capsule . Transitional cells are dense masses that lie on the
surface of glomeru lar cappalaries and have a dark nucleus and
a limited cytoplasm . Bowmans capsule has two layers .
Parietal layer is formed fro m simple squamous epithelial cells
and the visceral layer is co mposed of podocytes in Tor tor.
There are ju xtaglo merular cells in the afferent artery wall wh ich
secrets renin(Figure2).
Methodol ogy
This histological study was carried out on the nephrons of Tor
tor for the first time. A total nu mber of ten adult fishes from the
fishing region of Narmada River near Hoshangagad Bhopal
were subjected to this investigation .The kidneys were removed
Results
Figure 2.Renal corpuscle (H&E X 560)
1-Visceral layer ,2- Parietal layer, 3-B owmans space.
Renal tubules include two proximal convoluted segments , an
intermediate segment and the collecting tubule system . The
first and second proximal convoluted segments are established
consequently by eosinophilic cuboidal ep ithelial and simple
International Journal of Engineering Science and Computing, February 2017
columnar epithelial cells which bear a brush border and have a
conspicuous apical cytoplasmic rim containing few organelles ,
ciliated cell ,mucous cell and dark cells (figure3).
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Figure 3. Renal tubules (H&E X 560)
PI: Pro ximal convoluted segement type I.
PII:Pro xima l convoluted segment type II.
Intermediate segment is similar to the proximal convoluted segment and is established by short cuboidal epithelial cells whic h bear
brush border(Figure4).
Figure 4. Renal tubules (H&E X 560).
Int: Intermed iate Seg ment.
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In addition to the head of the kidney , this layer acts as a
haemotopoietic tissue with notable reticular t issue and blood
vessels . collecting tubules are formed fro m cuboidal to
columnar epithelial cells which are characterized by division of
their cytoplasm into a dark ap ical half and a light basal half.
Discussion and Conclusion
The vertebrate kidney is the main organ which maintains
homeostasis (Ojeda et al ,2003). In fish kidneys receive
majority of postbranchial blood and renal lesions may be
expected to be good indicators of environmental stresses
(Kurtovic et al , 2008) . Heamatopoiesis , phagocytosis
,hormones secretion and excreating the end products of the
body metabolism are performed by kidneys (Ferguson, 2006).
Freshwater fishes absorb minerals and excreate excessive water
mostly by kidneys in order to maintain the osmotic balance
(Nowak,1992).
The morphology of kidney in fishes varies
(Elger,1989).
The kidney of Tor tor is located in a
retroperitoneal portion against the ventral aspect of vertebral
column .The kidney of cyprin ids has a homogenous structure
and there is not any distinction between the head and caudal
part. Therefore, the anterior and posterior part may not be
distinguished . The kidney is composed of anterior , which
consists of hematopoietic tissue without any renal tubules and
glomeruli and the posterior, which consists of hematopoietic
tissue and excreatory parts like in perciformes and Sturgeons
(Charmi et al 2010). The kidney consists of nephrons , which
are its functional and structural units (Mobjerg et al , 2004) .
Glo merular structure in the fish is similar to mammals .
Bowmans capsule and juxtaglo merular apparatus are present in
fishes . Pro ximal convoluted tubules are characterized
according to their epithelial cells that are cuboidal or colu mnar
with brush border and eosinophilic cytoplasm (Lindesjoo and
Thulin ,1994;Stoskopf, 1993). Rental tubules in Tor tor have no
henle loop compared to mammals and no distal convolut ed
tubules compared to the freshwater fishes.
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