Microscopic structures of the hepatopancreas in iridescent shark cat fish (Pangasius hypophthalmus)

Objective: In some fishes, pancreas grows together with the liver tissue, as a result of which the structure called hepatopancreas appears. In the present survey, we aimed to determine the histological characters of the hepatopancreas in iridescent shark cat fish (Pangasius hypophthalmus). Method & Materials: In this study, the hepatopancreas on six normal fish were studied microscopically. Samples were taken from liver and pancreas tissues of the common pangusi at 5 months of age. Tissue samples fixed for 48 hours in 10% buffered formalin solution. Fixed tissue were dehydrated in aggraded series of alcohol, cleared in xylene, embedded in paraffin and sectioned at 6-7 μm. Sections were mounted on glass slides, deparaffinized and stained by Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and Periodic acid Schiff (PAS). Results & Conclusion: Parenchyma of the liver was primarily composed of polyhedral hepatocytes typically with central nuclei. Hepatocytes had many eosinophilic vacuoles. Amongst them many sinusoids are present. The liver encapsulated by a thin serosa and the lobulation was not seen in the liver clearly. Pancreas tissue was penetrated into the liver along with portal vein. This is exocrine pancreatic tissue located in the liver and is collectively called the hepatopancreas. Pancreatic tissue consisted of serous acini with centroacinar cells and their ducts. Acinar cells had a euchoromatin nucleus in based portion, and their cytoplasm was basophilic, but the apex of each cell contained eosinophilic zymogen granules. Thin septa of connective tissue separated hepatocytes from the exocrine pancreatic cells.