TITLE:
Descriptive Histological Study and Detection of Serotonin (5-HT)-Associated Autofluorescence in the Neuro-Olfactory Epithelium of the Vampire Bat Desmodus rotundus
AUTHORS:
Aurora Angeles-Maldonado, Violeta Gómez, María Guadalupe Ramírez-Muñoz, Rodrigo Salomón Hernández-Aco, José Luis Hernández-Guzmán, Juan Ocampo-López
KEYWORDS:
Common Vampire Bat, Desmodus rotundus, Neuro-Olfactory Epithelium, Serotonin (5-HT), Autofluorescence, Histology
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine,
Vol.16 No.9,
September
23,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study characterized the histological organization of the neuro-olfactory epithelium of the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Gomori’s trichrome, and Holmes’ silver impregnation. In addition, an induced autofluorescence technique was employed to investigate the distribution of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT)-associated fluorescence within the neuro-olfactory epithelium. Histological analysis demonstrated that the neuro-olfactory epithelium is in the dorsocaudal region of the nasal cavity and consists of a pseudostratified sensory epithelium composed of sustentacular cells, basal cells, and bipolar olfactory receptor neurons. Holmes’ staining clearly identified unmyelinated nerve fibers associated with the olfactory nerve. Autofluorescence imaging obtained using two fluorescence filter sets revealed a yellow-to-orange colocalization signal indicative of serotonin (5-HT)-associated fluorescence within the neuro-olfactory epithelium and associated olfactory glands. These findings provide a detailed histological description of the neuro-olfactory epithelium of Desmodus rotundus and support the usefulness of induced autofluorescence as a complementary histological approach for detecting serotonin-associated fluorescence in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues.