Cellular injury and lipid peroxidation induced by hexavalent chromium in isolated rat hepatocytes

In order to elucidate the relationship between cellular injury and lipid peroxidation induced by hexavalent chromium (CrVI), isolated rat hepatocytes treated with any one of scavengers of active oxygen species, antioxidants or antichromium agent were incubated with K2Cr2O7 as CrVI (1 mM Cr). After the incubation, the development of lipid peroxidation was determined as thiobarbituric acid (TBA)-reacting materials in total lipid extracts from the incubated hepatocytes. Cellular injury was observed as a leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from hepatocytes into incubation medium. The contents of reduced glutathione (GSH) in hepatocytes were also assessed. Results obtained were as follows: (1) CrVI facilitated lipid peroxidation in isolated hepatocytes after 20 min of incubation. On the other hand, the cellular injury induced by CrVI was barely observed even after 60 min of incubation. (2) The CrVI-induced lipid peroxidation was inhibited by catalase and mannitol as scavengers of active oxygen species, or N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine and alpha-tocopherol as antioxidants. However the cytotoxicity of CrVI could not be prevented by these chemicals. (3) CrVI depleted the contents of intracellular GSH and diminished the activities of glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) except glutathione peroxidase. (4) The scavengers of active oxygen species and the antioxidants could not prevent the depletion of intracellular GSH induced by CrVI. (6) Ascorbic acid, antichromium agent, prevented all of the lipid peroxidation, the cellular injury and intracellular GSH depletion induced by CrVI.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Cytotoxicity for porcine islet cells by complement of six animal species

Complement-mediated cytotoxicity for porcine islet cells (PICs) was evaluated using sera of six animal species. Then soluble complement receptor type-1 (sCR1) as an anti-complement agent was added to those sera, and the changes in 50% hemolytic unit of complement serum (CH50) and cytotoxic effect of those sera on PICs were examined. All the sera except for that of pig showed cytotoxicity. However, the extent of toxicity was considerably different between species. In the rat and human serum, sCR1 significantly reduced CH50 and cytotoxicity, however in the dog serum, sCR1 had no suppressive effects. These results may suggest that complement contribute to humoral cytotoxicity for PICs as a main factor, and the compatibility of complement with PICs differs between animal species.     

镉对大鼠原代肝细胞的毒性损伤

用两步灌流法获得大鼠肝细胞,肝细胞暴露于浓度为2.5、5、10μmol/L的醋酸镉24 h.测定了细胞活力、培养上清液中乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)、天冬氨酸转氨酶(AST)和丙氨酸转氨酶(ALT)活性及细胞内谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-PX)活性、还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)和丙二醛(MDA)含量的变化.结果表明,细胞相对存活率显著下降(P<0.01),LDH、AST和ALT的释放量增加,5μmol/L和10 μmol/L剂量组与对照组相比差异均显著(P<0.01),细胞内GSH-PX活性降低,各剂量染毒组与对照组相比,差异均极显著(P<0.01);细胞内GSH含量升高,5 μmol/L和10μmol/L剂量组与对照组差异均显著(P<0.05),细胞内MDA含量升高,10μmol/L剂量组与对照组相比差异显著(P<0.05).表明镉可致肝细胞损伤,并且氧化应激起了重要作用.     

T-2毒素致猪肾细胞损伤及氧化应激相关机理的研究

试验旨在研究T-2毒素对猪肾细胞(PK15)的毒性作用及其氧化应激反应。用不同浓度的T-2毒素处理细胞,通过MTT法检测细胞活性、测定细胞内乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)释放率及苏木素伊红(HE)染色观察细胞形态变化评估T-2毒素对细胞的毒性作用;通过检测细胞内的活性氧(ROS)水平、丙二醛(MDA)含量及谷胱甘肽(GSH)含量、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GPx)活性,评估不同剂量T-2毒素对细胞氧化应激水平的影响;检测Nrf2-ARE信号通路相关基因Nrf2、Keap1、GPx-1、Nqo1及Hmox1 mRNA的表达水平,分析T-2毒素对该信号通路的影响。结果表明,PK15细胞活性呈毒素剂量依赖性下降(P<0.05),LDH释放率呈毒素剂量依赖性上调(P<0.05);随T-2毒素剂量升高,细胞间隙逐渐增加,细胞固缩,细胞数量也随之减少。细胞内ROS阳性细胞率呈剂量依赖性升高,且T-2毒素为100 nmol/L时,ROS阳性细胞率显著高于其他剂量组(P<0.05);细胞内MDA含量与GPx活性呈毒素剂量依赖性升高(P<0.05),而GSH含量呈毒素剂量依赖性下降(P<0.05)。20、50及100 nmol/L的T-2毒素可显著上调Keap1、Gpx-1及Nqo1基因mRNA的相对表达量(P<0.05),且50 nmol/L的相对表达量最高。T-2毒素对K15细胞有毒性作用,可诱导其氧化损伤,且该氧化应激过程受Nrf2-AER信号通路调控。     

In vitro fungistatic and fungicidal activities of silver sulfadiazine and natamycin on pathogenic fungi isolated from horses with keratomycosis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the in vitro antifungal properties of silver sulfadiazine (SSD) and natamycin against filamentous fungi isolated from eyes of horses with keratomycosis. SAMPLE POPULATION: Filamentous fungal isolates obtained from eyes of keratomycosis-affected horses. PROCEDURES: Fungal culture of ocular samples yielded 6 Fusarium spp; 7 Aspergillus spp; and 1 isolate each of Curvularia, Scopulariopsis, Penicillium, and Chrysosporium. For each fungal isolate, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of SSD and natamycin were determined. RESULTS: For all 17 fungal isolates, SSD MIC distribution ranged from < or = 1 to > 64 microg/mL; MIC50 and MIC90 (MICs at which 50% and 90% of organisms were inhibited) were 4 and 32 microg/mL, respectively. The SSD MFC distribution for all isolates was < or = 1 to > 64 microg/mL; MFC50 and MFC90 (MFCs at which 50% and 90% of organisms were killed) were 8 and > 64 microg/mL, respectively. For all fungal isolates, natamycin MIC distribution ranged from 256 to > 1,000 microg/mL; MIC50 and MIC90 were 512 and > 1,000 microg/mL, respectively. The natamycin MFC distribution for all isolates ranged from 512 to > 1,000 microg/mL; MFC(50) and MFC(90) were each > 1,000 microg/mL. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These in vitro data suggest that SSD is fungicidal against the fungal isolates that were obtained from eyes of horses with keratomycosis and that natamycin is fungicidal against some of the isolates at the drug concentrations evaluated. Silver sulfadiazine may be a therapeutic option for equine keratomycosis.     

Cytotoxicity of bovine leucocytes for parainfluenza type-3 virus-infected cells.

The cytotoxic effect of bovine neutrophils, alveolar macrophages, monocytes and lymphocytes for parainfluenza type-3 (PI-3) virus-infected cells in 51chromium-release assays is described. Specific lysis of virus-infected target cells with PI-3 virus antibody and complement was first observed 8 h after infection coincident with the appearance of haemadsorption-positive cells. Specific lysis increased rapidly reaching a peak 18-24 h after infection. This increase was paralleled by the increase in the percentage of cells with surface haemagglutinin. Target cells were subsequently used in 51chromium-release assays between 18 and 20 h after virus infection. Antibody-independent killing of PI-3 virus-infected cells was observed with neutrophils, alveolar macrophages and lymphocytes. Levels of specific lysis up to 30% for neutrophils and 68% for alveolar macrophages were observed, although there was considerable variation in activity from animal to animal. Lymphocyte preparations showed levels of cytotoxicity up to 20% in some cases while monocytes had low killing ability. Addition of PI-3 virus-specific antibodies enhanced killing by neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes but inhibited killing by alveolar macrophages. Complement, particularly guinea pig complement, was cytotoxic for virus-infected but not for uninfected cells, and also considerably enhanced the cytotoxic effect of neutrophils and lymphocytes.     

The Study on the Cytotoxicity of Palmatine on Goat Endometrial Epithelial Cells in vitro

To explore the cytotoxicity of palmatine in vitro,goat endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) were stimulated by different concentrations of palmatine,then the growth curve of cell was drew by MTT assay which could detect the cell proliferation. The cell growth state was observed by inverted microscope,and Wright-Giemsa staining was used to observe morphological changes of the cells while LDH test was used to check the membrane permeability of EECs. The results showed that when the concentration was 10 to 227 μg/mL,palmatine had a role in promoting proliferation of the EECs,while when the concentration was more than 227 μg/mL,cell proliferation was inhibited,and 50% inhibitory rate of proliferation (IC₅₀) of this drug on EECs was 360 μg/mL.Wright-Giemsa staining results showed that themorphology of the nucleus and cytolymph were not significantly changed when 100 and 200 μg/mL palmatine effected EECs. LDH results showed that when the palmatine concentration was more than 250 μg/mL,LDH content was extremely significantly higher than that of normal cell group(P<0.01).In conclusion,palmatine presented certain toxic effect on EECs with a significant dose-response effect,and the safe dose range of palmatine was less than 250 μg/mL.     

黄藤素对山羊子宫内膜上皮细胞的体外毒性研究

为了探究黄藤素的体外细胞毒性,采用不同浓度的黄藤素作用山羊子宫内膜上皮细胞（EECs）后,采用MTT法绘制细胞生长曲线;倒置显微镜下观察细胞生长状态;瑞氏-姬姆萨染色法观察细胞形态学变化并通过测定乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）含量检测细胞膜的完整性。结果显示,当黄藤素的浓度为10~227 μg/mL时,黄藤素对EECs有促增殖的作用;当浓度大于227 μg/mL时出现细胞增殖抑制现象,药物对细胞的半数增殖抑制率（IC₅₀）为360 μg/mL;瑞氏-姬姆萨染色结果显示,100、200 μg/mL的黄藤素作用于EECs时均未对其细胞核、细胞浆的形态产生影响;LDH结果显示,药物浓度≥250 μg/mL时细胞LDH的释放量极显著高于正常细胞组（P<0.01）。综上所述,黄藤素作用于山羊EECs后呈现一定的毒性作用,且呈现显著的剂量依赖效应,作用于EECs的安全剂量范围为≤250 μg/mL。     

A colorimetric assay to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of the intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes of chickens

After the successful use of 3-[4,5-(dimethylthiazol-2-yl)]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) in cell proliferation assays, its use has been established by different workers in cytotoxicity assays and research on leukaemia. In the present study, a colorimetric assay using MTT was adopted to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of chicken intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (iIELs), which constitute an important cellular component of the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT). These iIELs are found to exhibit natural killer (NK) cell-like cytotoxic activity, which is spontaneous, non-MHC-restricted, and does not need to be primed. Hitherto, conventional chromium-release assays have been used to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of iIELs, but these assays have disadvantages such as radiation hazards and loss of the cells in washing steps. The mean percentage cytotoxic activity of chicken iIELs evaluated by the colorimetric assay was 90.37±2.53 in a group of 5-week-old chickens and 80.2±3.45 in a group of 8-week-old chickens. These findings established the successful use of a colorimetric assay using MTT for evaluating the cytotoxic activity of chickens iIELs.Abbreviations DMEM Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium - DMSO dimethyl sulphoxide - E effector cells - GALT gut-associated lymphoid tissue - GM growth medium - iIELs intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes - MTT 3-[4,5-(dimethylthiazol-2-yl)]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide - NK cell natural killer cell - OD optical density - RPMI Rosewell Park Memorial Institute medium - T target cells     

熊胆粉抗乙醇诱导的小鼠肝细胞氧化损伤研究

目的：研究熊胆粉对乙醇诱导的小鼠肝细胞氧化损伤的保护作用。方法：Ⅰ型、Ⅳ型胶原酶和DNA酶联合消化分离、培养小鼠原代肝细胞,乙醇诱导小鼠肝细胞损伤,MTT法检测肝细胞存活率,不同浓度熊胆粉预处理肝细胞,观察培养液中丙二醛（MDA）、还原型谷胱甘肽（GSH）含量和超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性。结果：乙醇对肝细胞的损伤呈量效关系,与正常对照组相比,损伤组培养液中MDA含量明显增加,GSH含量显著降低（P〈0.05）。熊胆粉保护各组（125,150,175μg·ml～（-1））与损伤组相比,培养液中MDA含量明显减少（P〈0.05）,GSH含量和SOD活性显著升高（P〈0.05）。结论：熊胆粉对乙醇诱导损伤的肝细胞具有明显的保护作用。     

Enzymatic antioxidant defense in isolated rat hepatocytes exposed to cadmium

The aim of the study was the evaluation of cadmium effects on the activity of antioxidant enzymes in rat hepatocytes. The studies were conducted with isolated rat hepatocytes incubated for 1 or 2 hours in a modified (deprived of carbonates with phosphates) Williams' E medium (MWE) in the presence of cadmium chloride (25, 50 and 200 microM). Hepatocytes incubated in the MWE medium without cadmium chloride were used as a control. The application of the modified Williams' E medium allowed for the appearance of cadmium compounds in a soluble form that is indispensable for suitable estimation of its toxic action. There were evaluated markers of the oxidative stress such as: concentration of thiobarbiturate reactive substances (TBARS)--proportional to the level of lipid peroxidation, concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH), and the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD1 and SOD2), catalase (CAT), total glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), selenium--dependent glutathione peroxidase (SeGSHPx), glutathione transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GSHR). Alterations of antioxidant enzymes activity, the level of TBARS and GSH in isolated rat hepatocytes caused by cadmium in vitro, were shown to depend on the concentration and time of exposure of cells to this metal. The increased level of TBARS and GSH was observed as well as changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The activity of SOD isoenzymes and CAT was increased, whereas GSHPx and GST were decreased. These results indicate that cadmium induces oxidative stress followed by alterations in the cellular antioxidant enzyme system in isolated rat hepatocytes.     

Changes in Activities of Enzymes Related to Energy Metabolism in Peripheral Leukocytes of Fattening Steers

Glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol and immunoreactive insulin (IRI) concentrations, some enzyme activities in plasma, and activities of enzymes related to energy metabolism in peripheral leukocytes were measured in fattening Japanese Black Wagyu x Holstein steers fed on different diets at 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 months of age. The plasma IRI concentrations at 20 and 24 months of age were significantly higher than those at 8 months of age. Activities of hexokinase (HK), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) in cytosolic fractions, and glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), MDH and AST in mitochondrial fractions in peripheral leukocytes of steers at 24 months of age were significantly higher than those at 8 months. Increasing plasma insulin concentration was considered to induce acceleration of glucose utilization in leukocytes of fattening steers. The cytosolic ratio of MDH/lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in leukocytes increased significantly in the fattening process and was considered to be a useful indicator for evaluating changes in energy metabolism in steers.     

Endothelial cytotoxicity of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae

The cytotoxicity of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 strain CM5 for porcine and bovine endothelial cells in vitro, was dose-dependent. This strain and its attenuated and avirulent substrain CM5A were equally cytotoxic. The cytotoxicity observed during five hours of exposure of endothelial cells to bacterial products was abolished if the bacteria were inactivated by heat or sonication. Exposure of the endothelial cells for five hours to 100 and 200 micrograms of purified lipopolysaccharide resulted in a partial cytotoxicity only, which was not enhanced in the presence of fresh guinea pig serum. The cytotoxicity of viable bacteria could be neutralised by a polyclonal rabbit antiserum to the purified 104kD haemolysin. A bacteria-free supernate of a culture of strain CM5 had both haemolytic and cytotoxic activity. The haemolytic activity could be neutralised completely by the anti-serum to the 104kD haemolysin, whereas the cytotoxic activity was only partially neutralisable. Hence A pleuropneumoniae is cytotoxic for endothelial cells and this cytotoxicity is possibly mediated by the 104kD haemolysin.     

2010年广西中小规模养猪户面临的问题调查分析

为了解广西中小规模养猪户面临的问题,以问卷形式对广西贵港、北海、玉林、柳州、南宁等地19个乡镇148个农户进行调查。结果显示20头母猪以上大户占75%,投入在5万元以上,从业多年,养猪是主要收入来源,户主多为中学文化水平,用工3～10人;5～20头母猪中户占17%,母猪在5头以下的小户占8%。大户对乳猪料认识好,用得多,占32%,但有50%的大户对价格比较敏感。农户饲养土杂猪的比例占60%,饲养快大猪占35%,纯土猪只有5%。大户的种猪多来自种猪场占25%,而小农户多数自己留种或在村里购买,占60%;对选种多数看外表占66%,15%的人会关注生产记录。普遍使用大猪场的精液,占80%。调查表明将中小规模养猪户并入产业链,统一规范管理,平衡合作农户的计酬,形成一站式服务是中小规模养猪户的发展趋势。     

Evaluation of the ability of colistin,amoxicillin (components of Potencil®), and fluoroquinolones to attenuate bacterial endotoxin‐ and Shiga exotoxin‐mediated cytotoxicity—In vitro studies

Escherichia coli is one of the major pathogens in humans and animals causing localized and systemic infections, which often lead to acute inflammation, watery diarrhea, and hemorrhagic colitis. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Shiga exotoxins (Stx) are mostly responsible for such clinical signs. Therefore, highly effective treatment of E. coli infections should include both eradication of bacteria and neutralization of their toxins. Here, for the first time, we compared the in vitro ability of common antibiotics to decrease LPS‐ and Stx‐mediated cytotoxicity: colistin, amoxicillin (used separately or combined), enrofloxacin, and its metabolite ciprofloxacin. Three experimental scenarios were realized as follows: (a) the direct effect of antibiotics on endotoxin, (b) the effect of antibiotic treatment on LPS‐mediated cytotoxicity in an experiment mimicking “natural infection,” (c) the effect of antibiotics to decrease Stx2e‐mediated cytotoxicity. Two cell lines, A549 and Vero cells, were used to perform cytotoxic assays with the methyl tetrazolium (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase leakage (LDH) methods, respectively. Colistin and amoxicillin, especially used in combination, were able to attenuate LPS toxic effect, which was reflected by increase in A549 cell viability. In comparison with other antibiotics, the combination of colistin and amoxicillin exhibited the highest boster or additive effect in protecting cells against LPS‐ and Stx2e‐induced toxicity. In summary, in comparison with fluoroquinolones, the combination of colistin and amoxicillin at concentrations similar to those achieved in plasma of treated animals exhibited the highest ability to attenuate LPS‐ and Stx2e‐mediated cytotoxicity.     

Notoginsenoside R1 protects boar sperm during liquid storage at 17°C

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage mammalian sperm during liquid storage. Notoginsenoside R1 (NR1) is a compound isolated from the roots of Panax notoginseng; it has powerful ROS-scavenging activities. This work hypothesized that the antioxidant capacity of NR1 could improve boar sperm quality and fertility during liquid storage. During liquid storage at 17°C, the supplementation of semen extender with NR1 (50 μM) significantly improved sperm motility, membrane integrity and acrosome integrity after 5 days of preservation. NR1 treatment also reduced ROS and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels at day 5 (p <0.05). Higher glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) levels and sperm–zona pellucida binding capacity were observed in the 50 μM NR1 group than those in the control group at day 7 (p <0.05). Importantly, statistical analysis of the fertility of 200 sows indicated that addition of NR1 to the extender improved the fertility parameters of boar spermatozoa during liquid storage at 17°C (p <0.05). These results demonstrate the practical feasibility of using 50 μM NR1 as an antioxidant in boar extender during liquid storage at 17°C, which is beneficial to both spermatozoa quality and fertility.     

Effects of sugar cane extract on the modulation of immunity in pigs

The experiment was aimed to test the efficacy of sugar cane extract (SCE) on the modulation of pig immunity under field conditions. The SCE preparation consisted of sugar cane extract (20%) and oilcake of rice bran (80%). SCE (500 mg/kg of body weight per day) was fed to weanling pigs on 3 consecutive days per week for 4 weeks. The results showed a significant enhancement of cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells and phagocytosis by neutrophils and monocytes, compared to untreated pigs. The enhancement of NK cell function may have protected against porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome (PRRS), as there was a reduction in seroconversion rates in treated pigs. Moreover, SCE-treated pigs showed a 7.87% growth enhancement compared with untreated controls. Thus SCE produces an immunostimulative effect on porcine innate immunity that may provide protection against pathogens.     

Functional integrity of precision-cut liver slices from deer and cattle

Precision-cut bovine and cervine liver slices were incubated in RPMI 1640 media for up to 72 h, and cellular integrity was assessed utilizing the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the formation of the formazan metabolite of 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT). Leakage of LDH (80%) from the bovine and cervine slices was noted only following 10 h of culture, and similarly, the generation of MTT-formazan declined. Metabolic viability was determined using 7-ethoxycoumarin as the model substrate, which was metabolized by slices from both animal species in a time-dependent manner for at least 6 h to generate 7-hydroxycoumarin, which was secreted into the media primarily as glucuronide and sulphate conjugates. With both cervine and bovine slices metabolic activity decreased markedly after a 4-h preincubation as assessed following a further 2-h incubation in the presence of 7-ethoxycoumarin. Subsequently, ethoxycoumarin metabolism by bovine slices did not decrease further until 24 h and was still detectable at 72 h. In the case of cervine slices, activity declined gradually after 8 h, with no activity being detectable at 72 h. It may be concluded that cervine and bovine slices may be maintained metabolically active for 8-10 h, which should prove sufficient for xenobiotic metabolism studies to be performed.     

Activities of enzymes in the malate-aspartate shuttle and the isoenzyme pattern of lactate dehydrogenase in plasma and peripheral leukocytes of lactating Holstein cows and riding horses

The activities of the enzymes involved in the malate-aspartate shuttle and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the pattern of the isoenzymes of LDH were determined in plasma and peripheral leukocytes of lactating Holstein cows and thoroughbred riding horses as representative herbivorous animals. In the horse plasma, LDH activities were significantly lower and AST activities were significantly higher than those in the cow plasma. The specific activities of cytosolic malate dehydrogenase (MDH), LDH and AST in the horse leukocytes were higher than those in the cows. The cytosolic ratio of MDH/LDH activity (ML ratio) in the horse leukocytes was significantly lower than that in the cow leukocytes owing to significantly higher activities of LDH. The ML ratio was considered to reflect the difference in energy metabolism in leukocytes between cows and horses. The plasma LDH isoenzyme patterns of cow and horse showed the characteristic as herbivorous animals with dominance of LDH-1, -2 and -3. The LDH isoenzyme patterns with dominance of LDH-3 and -4 in the horse leukocytes were remarkably different from those in the cow leukocytes. There were significant differences in activities of malate-aspartate shuttle enzymes, ML ratio and LDH isoenzyme patterns in the cytosolic fractions of leukocytes between the lactating cows and the riding horses.     

Morphology of lacrimal gland in pig fetuses

The morphological and histological examinations of the lacrimal gland were conducted on pig fetuses coming from the 20th, 24th, 27th, 30th, 35th, 50th, 63rd, 94th and 112th day of gestation. The morphological examinations were carried out using the method of macroscopic preparation with a forehead magnifying glass and binocular (magnification 1.5-5.0x). In order to better visualize the anatomical elements, 60-80% absolute alcohol and 0.5-4% acetic acid solution were used for the examinations. On the 20th, 24th, 27th, and 30th day of gestation the whole fetuses were collected for the histological examinations. The whole eyeball with developing accessory organs was collected from the pig fetuses on the 35th day of gestation. On the 50th, 63rd, 94th and 112th day of gestation only the lacrimal gland was collected. Staining with H-E and Azan method was performed. On the 20th, 24th, 27th, 30th and 35th day of gestation ectodermal cells were not found in the collected material. On the 50th and 63rd day of gestation the connective tissue divides the gland parenchyma into indistinct lobes composed of gland cells. On the 94th day of gestation the number of lobes is substantially higher than on the 50th and 63rd day of gestation, while the number of lobules forming lobes decreases. On the 112th day of gestation each lobe is composed of 8-22 excretory ducts made up of the simple cuboid epithelium with a round nucleus arranged less or more peripherally.