Summary
A sexual dimorphism of the hamster Harderian gland at the ultrastructural level, has been reported. Castration of males and the administration of testosterone to females are known to alter the male type gland to the female type and vice versa. In this paper we present data that exposure to a short photoperiod (1L:23D) can induce similar structural alterations between the 4th and 10th week of exposure. Changes in the male included reduction in the number of tubular clusters and large vacuoles, while in the female the number of membrane formations decreased with an accompanying appearance of tubular clusters.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Berndtson WE, Desjardins C (1974) Circulating LH and FSH levels and testicular function in hamsters during light deprivation and subsequent photoperiodic stimulation. Endocrinology 95:195–205
Bucana CD, Nadakavukaren MJ (1972) Fine structure of the hamster Harderian gland. Z Zellforsch 128:178–187
Hoffman RA (1971) Influence of some endocrine glands, hormones and blinding on the histology and porphyrins of the Harderian glands of golden hamsters. Amer J Anat 132:463–477
Hoffman RA, Reiter RJ (1965) Pineal gland: Influence on gonads of male hamsters. Science 148:1609–1611
Lin WL, Nadakavukaren MJ (1979) The androgenic effect on the fine structure of the Harderian gland in the male hamster. Cell Tissue Res 198:119–127
Lin WL, Nadakavukaren MJ (1981) Harderian gland lipids of male and female golden hamsters. Comp Biochem Physiol 70:627–630
Lin WL, Nadakavukaren MJ (1982) Delta-aminolevulinate synthase activity in the Harderian glands of male and female golden hamsters. Comp Biochem Physiol 71:539–540
Reiter RJ (1968) Changes in the reproductive organs of coldexposed and light-deprived female hamsters. J Reprod Fertil 16:217–222
Seegal RF, Goldman BD (1975) Effects of photoperiod on cyclicity and serum gonadotropins in the Syrian hamster. Biol Reprod 12:223–231
Sun CY, Nadakavukaren MJ (1980) Effect of testosterone on the female hamster Harderian gland pigmentation and ultrastructure. Cell Tissue Res 207:511–517
Wetterberg L (1972) Increase of Harderian gland porphyrin content in castrated male hamsters dependent on light and visual function. Life Sci 11:541–546
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nadakavukaren, M.J., Lin, W.L. Influence of short photoperiods on the ultrastructure of hamster Harderian glands. Cell Tissue Res. 233, 209–213 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222244
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222244