title: Analysis of constant tissue remodeling in Syrian hamster Harderian gland: intra-tubular and inter-tubular syncytial masses.
abstract: The Syrian hamster Harderian gland (HG) has a marked sexual dimorphism and exhibits an extraordinary rate of porphyrinogenesis. The physiological oxidative stress, derived from constant porphyrin production, is so high that the HG needs additional survival autophagic mechanisms to fight against this chronic exposure, provoking the triggering of a holocrine secretion in female glands that forms two types of secretory masses: intra-tubular-syncytial and inter-tubular-syncytial masses. The aim of this work was to study the development of this inter-tubular holocrine secretion. To approach this task, we have considered that the steps developed during the formation of the so-called invasive masses consist of the growth of epithelial cells, cell detachment from the basal lamina and invasion of surrounding tissues. The presence of these masses, particularly in the female HG, are closely linked to sexual dimorphism in redox balance and to alterations in the expression of certain factors such as cytokeratins, P-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinases, cathepsin H, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, p53, CD-31 and vascular endothelial growth factor, which seem to be involved in tissue remodeling. The results document unusual mechanisms of secretion in Syrian hamster HG: an extraordinary system of massive secretion through the conjunctive tissue, disrupting the branched structure of the gland.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coto-Montes
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García-Macía
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sierra
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Colunga
authors.forename: Russel J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vega-Naredo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D056655:Cathepsin H / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D006243:Harderian Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D007633:Keratins; D056655:Cathepsin H