Influences of Some Endocrine Glands and of Hormone Replacement on the Porphyrins of the Harderian Glands of Mice

Abstract

There are marked sex differences in the Harderian gland of the C3H/He strain of mice. Female (but not male) glands contain large amounts of porphyrin, which are readily visible as solid depositions within the lumina. The histology and porphyrin content of the Harderian gland were examined in intact and in pregnant mice and in mice subjected to combinations of adrenalectomy, gonadectomy and administration of sex steroid hormones. In male mice, castration approximately doubled the amount of porphyrin in the Harderian gland. Castration plus adrenalectomy increased the levels over 30-fold, to levels similar to those found in female mice, although adrenalectomy alone produced no significant effect. Administration of testosterone to the male mice which had been castrated and adrenalectomized prevented the increases while progesterone treatment produced further increases in porphyrins. In intact females, the amount of porphyrin varied with the phase of the oestrous cycle; being lowest during metoestrus and highest during dioestrus. In ovariectomized-adrenalectomized females, the effects of administered sex hormones on the amount of porphyrin in the gland were the same as in males. In pregnant mice, the level was no significantly different from that in intact oestrous animals.

Histology, histochemistry and fine structure of the Harderian gland, lacrimal gland and superficial gland of the third eyelid of the European bison, Bison bonasus bonasus (Artiodactyla: Bovidae)

“…These lipid vacuoles are also observed in rodents (DJERIDANE 1992). Furthermore, the HG of rodents also contains porphyrin stored as solid intraluminal accretions (JOHNSTON et al 1985), which does not occur in the HG of the European bison (JOHNSTON et al 1985, SHIRAMA et al 1981.…”

Effects of Endocrine Glands and Hormone Replacement on the Mast Cell Count of the Harderian Gland of Mice

“…1968] and the gland has shown a sexual dimorphism insofar as there are higher amounts of porphyrins in the gland of females [Margolis. 1971: Shirama et al. 1981, Furthermore, previous work on male mice has shown that experimental procedures such as castration plus adrenalectomy, which results in an increase of glandular porphyrin, are also associated with administered androgen doses [Shirama et al.…”

“…1971: Shirama et al. 1981, Furthermore, previous work on male mice has shown that experimental procedures such as castration plus adrenalectomy, which results in an increase of glandular porphyrin, are also associated with administered androgen doses [Shirama et al. 1981], Thus the androgenic hormones exhibit an inhibitory effect on the porphyrins and mast cell count in the Harderian gland of mice, although these two differ in several ways in their response to other hormones such as estrogen and proges terone.…”

Isolation and characterization of protoporphyrin glycoconjugates from rat Harderian gland by HPLC, capillary electrophoresis and HPLC/electrospray ionization MS

“…The type and amount of porphyrins present are generally thought to be species-, strain-and genderspecific [12,13]. The major porphyrin component in rodents was reported to be protoporphyrin, with much smaller amounts of harderoporphyrin and other porphyrins [14,15].…”