Summary
The effect of testosterone on the sebaceous gland was studied in the male rat. Biopsies of dorsal skin from intact rats, from rats four weeks after castration, and from castrated rats treated with testosterone propionate for three weeks at a dose of 250 μg/kg/day (s.c.) were examined by electron microscopy. In the treated animals intermediate sacrifices were performed on days 4,7,14,21. Stereology was used for a morphometric analysis of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER). The presence of a vesicular endoplasmic reticulum throughout the cytoplasm of differentiating cells was observed in the sebaceous glands of intact rats. Following castration there was a shrinkage of these cells and a striking decrease in the volume density of the endoplasmic reticulum vesicles. The administration of testosterone to gonadectomized rats resulted in an increase in vesicle content above the normal level from the first week as revealed by stereological analysis. This study confirms the trophic effect of the androgen on the sebaceous gland at a subcellular level. Furthermore, it is shown that stereology is a useful method for detecting early hormone-induced changes and could be valuable for studying the effects of anti-androgens on this gland.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bell M (1974a) A comparative study of the ultrastructure of the sebaceous glands of man and other primates. J Invest Dermatol 62:132–143
Bell M (1974b) Effect of androgen on the ultrastructure of the sebaceous gland in two species. J Invest Dermatol 62:202–210
Ebling FJ (1957) The action of testosterone on the sebaceous glands and epidermis in castrated and hypophysectomized male rats. J Endocrinol 15:297–306
Hally AD (1964) A counting method for measuring the volumes of tissue components in microscopical sections. Q J Micr Sci 105:503–517
Hamilton JB, Montagna W (1950) The sebaceous gland of the hamster. I. Morphological effects of androgens on integumentary structures. Am J Anat 86:191–234
Hibbs RG (1962) Electron microscopy of human axillary sebaceous glands. J Invest Dermatol 38:329–336
Karásek J (1968) The ultrastructure of the sebaceous gland of the rat. Folia Morphol (Praha) 16:272–276
Lapière C (1953) Modifications des glandes sébacées par des hormones sexuelles appliquées localement sur la peau de souris. C R Soc Biol (Paris) 147:1302–1306
Mitchell OG (1965) Effect of castration and transplantation on ventral gland of the gerbil. Proc Exp Biol Med 119:953–955
Morohashi M (1968) An electron microscope study of the sebaceous glands, with special reference to the effect of sexual hormones. Japn J Dermatol Serie B 78:133–152
Rupee M (1969) Zur Ultrastruktur der Talgdrüsenzelle. Arch Klin Exp Dermatol 234:273–292
Sauter LS, Loud AV (1975) Morphometric evaluation of sebaceous gland volume in intact, castrated, and testosterone-treated rats. J Invest Dermatol 64:9–13
Strauss JS, Pochi PE (1963) The human sebaceous gland: Its regulation by steroidal hormones and its use as an organ for assaying androgenicity in vivo. Recent Prog Horm Res 19:385–444
Weibel ER (1979) Stereological methods, Vol I. Practical methods for biological morphometry. Academic Press, London
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lecaque, D., Secchi, J. Ultrastructural changes of sebaceous glands in castrated and testosterone-treated male rats. Cell Tissue Res. 226, 621–628 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214789
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214789