Abstract: To observe mucous membrane organization structure characteristics and goblet cells distribution of Huanghuai white goat's intestinal tract, three adult healthy Huanghuai white goats were bleed from jugular vein to death, the samples of duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon and rectum were taken immediately and immersed into 4% paraformaldehyde fixative to be fixed for 72 h. Tissue slices were thus made, and stained with HE and PAS. The results showed that epithelial cells of the duodenum and jejunum of Huanghuai white goat were highly columnar, and lymphocytes were distributed in lamina propria. The epithelial cells of the ileum mucosa were low columnar, and a large collection of lymph nodes were distributed in submucosa. The epithelial cells of cecum, colon and rectum were also low columnar, large intestinal gland were developed, and there were diffused lymphocytes between glands. The lymphoid nodule was seen in the lamina propria of rectum. The goblet cells in the epithelium secreted mucopolysaccharide in the form of apical secretion. The small intestinal goblet cells of Huanghuai white goat secreted neutral-mucopolysaccharide, while the large intestinal goblet cells of Huanghuai white goat secreted acid-mucopolysaccharide. The goblet cell's number of large intestine was significantly (P<0.01) higher than that of small intestine. The goblet cell number of colon were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of the cecum and rectum, and the goblet cell number of ileum were significantly(P<0.05) higher than those of the duodenum and jejunum. Therefore, from duodenum to ileum, the epithelial cells gradually changed from high column to low column, the goblet cells were mainly distributed in the large intestine, and the highest number of goblet cells was found in the colon.

Key words: goblet cells, tissue structure, small intestine, large intestine, Huanghuai white goat