Aspectos anátomo-histológicos e neuro-endócrinos do ceco da capivara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris linnaeus, 1766 (Mammalia, Rodentia)

The capybara, a herbivorous rodent of simple stomach, has been pointed out in the market of meats for having an excellent zootechnical performance. It has appreciated meat, valuable carcass, high reproductive potential and presents efficient food usage. The last item must be a consequence of the cecotrophy, which makes the cecum, an important organ in the digestive physiology of such animal. To carry out this study, ten adult capybaras from Cachoeirinhas‘ Farm in Vicosa-MG, were used. From them it was obtained data regarding the anatomy, histology and quantification of endocrine cells and nervous ganglia of the cecum. Fragments of the apex, body and base of the cranial taenia and of the area of ileocecal transition were collected. Macroscopically, the cecum is voluminous, sacciform, presenting a mean volumetrical capacity of 3,6 ± 1,7 l, and a mean length of 70 ± 16,2 cm completing a total of 25% of whole large intestine that measured 2,8 ± 0,6 m on the average. The cecum histologically showed straight tubulous glands with average length of 0,2 ± 0,02 mm, of prismatic simple mucous secretor epithelium, a highly vascularized submucosal tunic with nervous ganglia (Meissner) clearly observed, a developed muscular tunic with conspicuous and numerous myenterics ganglia (Auerbach) between the two layers of smooth muscle. Quantitatively, the cecum presented 2,0 ± 1,0 submucosal ganglia/mm2, 6,7 ± 3,0 myenterical ganglia/mm2, 173,1 ± 60,8 argyrophyllic cells/mm2, 207,8 ± 68,3 argentaffin cells/mm2 and 55,7 ± 27,4 serotonin immunoreactive cells/mm2.