ORIGINAL_ARTICLE The knowledge about transport of sugars in animals and birds gastrointestinal tract is very important for science as carbohydrates are the main energy source of food. Since until now there is few information about the localization of glucose transporters - integral membrane proteins that mediate the transport of glucose and related substances across the cellular membranes - in birds gastrointestinal tract, the aim of the present study was to localize glucose transporters-2 and -5 (GLUT-2 and -5) in three parts of the ostriches gastrointestinal tract – proventriculus, duodenum and ileum - comparatively in ostrich chicken in their early ontogenesis period. Material from the superficial gland zone of the proventriculus, duodenum and terminal zone of the ileum were collected from eight female ostriches (Struthio camelus var. Domesticus): two chickens after hatching, three 7 and three 30-days old ostriches. The material was fixed with 10% formalin, embedded into paraffin, slices 7 μm thick were cut followed by immunohistochemical staining with polyclonal primary antibodies Rabbit anti-GLUT-2 and Rabbit anti-GLUT-5, carried out according to the manufacturers guidelines (IHC kit, Abcam, UK). The results showed that the staining for both antibodies was weaker in all parts of the gastrointestinal tract of ostriches after hatching compared to 7 and 30 days old ostriches showing that the gastrointestinal tract of ostriches immediately after hatching is not entirely capable of transportation of carbohydrates. The results of our study may indicate the possibility of a close relationship between feeding and the ability to transport sugars in the gastrointestinal tract. https://macvetrev.mk/Files/Article/2019/10.1515/macvetrev-2016-0089/macvetrev-2016-0089.pdf 2016-10-15T09:00:00 225 231 10.2478/macvetrev-2016-0089 ostriches gastrointestinal tract GLUT-2 GLUT-5 Piret Hussar piretut@gmail.com false 1 Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Estonia LEAD_AUTHOR Martin Kärner false 2 Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Estonia AUTHOR Tõnu Järveots false 3 Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences AUTHOR Lazo Pendovski false 4 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ss.Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje,Skopje, R. Macedonia AUTHOR Ilmars Duritis false 5 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Latvian University of Agriculture, Latvia AUTHOR Florina Popovska-Percinic false 6 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ss.Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje,Skopje, R. Macedonia AUTHOR Davis K, Nowhere to hide 1993; 3: Poultry Press; 4- 1 Duritis I, Morphofunctional characterization of the stomach and small intestine of the ostrich (Struthio camelus var. domesticus) from day 38 of embryonic development to the age of 60 daysDoctoral dissertation (in Latvian) 2011; Jelgava, Latvia: Latvia University of Agriculture; 2 Cloete S.W.P, Lambrechts H, Punt K, Brand Z, Factors related to high levels of ostrich chick mortality from hatching to 90 days of age in an intensive rearing systemJournal of the South African Veterinary Association 2001; 72: 4197-202. 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