The objective of this study was to study the morphology and the localization of acid phosphatase at calves anterior small intestine, from birth to intestinal closure. Fifteen male dairy calves were used in this study, which were aged: unsuckled neonatal, three hours after colostrum ingestion and three days old. Vacuolated cells from duodenum to medium jejunum could be found in the newborn calf, which have shown absorbed material after colostrum ingestion. Changes at the morphological characteristics and the initiation of phosphatase acid reaction in lysosomes were observed in calves aged three days old. The three days old morphology can represent a different phase of epithelium cells maturation of calves small intestine indicating that the absorption process is dependent of the first generation of cells from this intestinal region.
immunoglobulins; duodenum; jejunum; acid phosphatase
