Comparative histological and histochemical study of flank region skin, in camel, cow and buffalo

The skin represents protective cover for the body and making up 16 % of the body weight. The current study included 15 specimens of skin flank region of three animals (cow, buffalo, and camel) fixed in 10 % formalin and then processed through a serial steps for histological examinations, and stained with, Hematoxylin and Eosin, Van Gesion, and Periodic Acid Shiffe stains, for description of the histochemical and histological structures of the skin. Results showed the epidermis was composed of four layers. The maximum thickness of epidermis observed in buffalo's skin was (6.16±0.27 μ) and thinnest in camel's skin was (2.24 ±0.08μ). The results revealed that the dermis consists of two layers; papillary and reticular layers which contain primary and secondary hair follicles, and there was great variation in diameter, sebaceous and sweat glands. The thickness of dermis was (84 ± 1.26 μ, 6116 ±3.7 μ, and 53.6 ± 2.03 μ) in camel, buffalo, and cow respectively. The thickness of the papillary layer in buffalo's skin appeared with a high thickness in comparison with the skin of cow and camel, while the flank skin of camel has a maximum thickness of the reticular layer, corneal, dermis, and total skin (68.8±4.63μ, 1.06±0.13μ, 84±1.26μ,93.6±2.03μ) respectively. The sebaceous glands were simple branched and alveolar, present in large size and multi-lobular in the skin of buffalo while in camel's skin appeared uni-lobular and small. All sweat glands in the flank region were of apocrine type; also differences were noticed in size and shape of these glands in studied animals. In Buffalo it appeared small, single and few, but in camel was aggregation in large number spread in the dermis. In conclusion, there are no differences in general structures of skin but the thickness of layers varied among all the animals