Summary
Monoamine oxidase (MAO) and alcohol dehydrogenase (AD) activities were studied histochemically in the Syrian hamster Harderian gland using tryptamine as substrate and Nitroblue Tetrazolium as the final electron acceptor. No dark: light-related changes were observed. Male type I secretory cells showed an intense MAO reaction. Female type I cells exhibited a moderate MAO activity. Both male and female glands showed a moderate/intense AD-positive reaction. Male type II cells were lacking MAO and AD activities. MAO activity found in the hamster Harderian glands corresponded mainly to MAO type A since treatment with chlorgyline (0.01, 0.1 and 0.5mm) totally inhibited it. The possible role of these two enzymes in Harderian gland indolalkylamine metabolism is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bubenik, G. A., Brown, G. M. &Grota, L. J. (1976) Immunohistochemical localization of melatonin in the rat Harderian gland.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 24, 1173–7.
Bucana, C. D. &Nadakavukaren, M. J. (1972) Fine structure of the hamster Harderian gland.Z. Zellforsch. 129, 178–87.
Egashira, T. &Waddell, W. J. (1984) Histochemical localization of monoamine oxidase in whole-body, freeze-dried sections of mice.Histochem. J. 16, 919–29.
Glenner, G. G., Burtner, H. H. &Brown, G. W. (1957) The histochemical demonstration of monoamine oxidase activity in tetrazolium salts.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 5, 591–600.
Goridis, C. &Neff, N. H. (1972) Evidence for specific monoamine oxidase in human sympathetic nerve and pineal gland.Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 140, 150–574.
Hoffman, R. A. (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, 463–78.
Hoffman, R. A., Johnson, L. B. &Reiter, R. J. (1985) Harderian glands of golden hamsters: Temporal and sexual differences in immunoreactive melatonin.J. Pineal Res. 2, 161–8.
King, T. S. &Steinlechner, S. (1985) Pineal indolalkylamine synthesis and metabolism: Kinetic considerations. In:Pineal Research Reviews (edited byReiter, R. J.), Vol. 3, pp. 69–114. New York: Alan R. Liss.
Kitahama, K., Kimura, H., Maeda, T. &Jouvet, M. (1987) Distribution of two types of monoamine oxidase containing neurons in the cat medulla oblongata demonstrated by an improved histochemical method.Neuroscience 20, 991–9.
Klein, D. C., Auerbach, D. A., Namboodiri, M. A. A. &Wheler, G. H. T. (1981) Indole metabolism in the mammalian pineal gland. InThe Pineal Gland (edited byReiter, R. J.) Vol. 1, pp. 201–26. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Menendez-Pelaez, A., Howes, K. A., Gonzalez-Brito, A. &Reiter, R. J. (1987a)N-Acetyltransferase activity, hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase activity and melatonin levels in the Harderian glands of the female Syrian hamsters: Changes during the light: dark cycle and the effect of 6-parachlorophenylalanine administration.Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 143, 1225–31.
Menendez-Pelaez, A., Lopez, J. M., Alvarez-Uria, M., Howes, K. A. &Reiter, R. J. (1987b) Cambios ultrastructurales en la glandula Harderiana del hamster sirio tras gonadectomia bilateral prolongada.Rev. Biol. Univ. Oviedo 5, 55–62.
Menendez-Pelaez, A., Reiter, R. J., Guerrero, J. M., Puig-Domingo, M. &Howes, K. A. (1988a) Sexual dimorphism inN-acetyltransferase activity, hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase and the melatonin content in the Harderian glands of Syrian hamster: Changes following gonadectomy.Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 187, 287–91.
Menendez-Pelaez, A., Santana, C., Howes, K. A., Sabry, I. *Reiter, R. J. (1988b) Effects of photoperiod or exogenous melatonin administration on the activity ofN-acetyltransferase and hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase and the Harderian glands of two strains of female Syrian hamster.J. Pineal Res. 5, 293–300.
Moore, M. R., McGadey, J., Payne, A. P. &Thompson, G. G. (1980) Seasonal variations in δ-aminolaevulinate synthetase and porphyrin content in the Harderian gland of the female golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus).Int. J. Biochem. 12, 501–4.
Pang, S. F. (1985) Melatonin concentrations in blood and pineal gland. InPineal Research Reviews (edited byR. J. Reiter), pp. 115–60. New York: Alan R. Liss.
Payne, A. P., McGadey, J., Moore, M. R. &Thompson, G. G. (1977) Androgenic control of the Harderian gland in the male golden hamster.J. Endocrinol. 75, 73–82.
Pevet, P., Balemans, M. G. M., Legeerstee, W. C. &Vivien-Roels, B. (1980) Circadian rhythmicity of the activity of hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) in the formation of melatonin and 5-methoxytryptophol in the pineal, retina, and Harderian gland of the golden hamster.J. Neural Transm. 49, 229–45.
Pevet, P., Heath, G., Haim, A. &Nevo, E. (1984) Photoperiod perception in the blind mole-rat: involvement of the Harderian gland, atrophied eyes and melatonin.J. Exp. Zool. 232, 41–51.
Quay, W. B. (1964) Circadian and estrous rhythms in pineal melatonin and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid.Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 115, 710–12.
Reiter, R. J., Richardson, B. A., Matthews, S. A., Lane, S. J. &Ferguson, B. N. (1983) Rhythms in immunoreactive melatonin in the retina and Harderian glands of rats: Persistence after pinealectomy.Life Sci. 32, 1229–36.
Russel, S. M., Davey, J. &Mayer, R. J. (1979) The topography and turnover of mitochondrial monoamine oxidase. InMonoamine Oxidase: Structure, Function and Altered Functions (edited bySinger, T. P., von Korf R. W. &Murphy D. L.), pp. 265–72. New York: Academic Press.
Sakai, T. (1981) The mammalian Harderian gland: Morphology, biochemistry, function and phylogeny.Arch. Histol. Jap. 4, 299–333.
Shirama, K., Kohda, M. &Hokano, M. (1987) Effects of lighting conditions and of hormone replacement on the levels of porphyrins in the rat Harderian gland.J. Endocrinol. Invest. 10, 79–82.
Synder, S. H., Axelrod, J. &Zweig, M. (1967) Circadian rhythm in the serotonin of the rat pineal gland: Regulating factors.J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 158, 206–13.
Spike, R. C., Johnston, H. S., McGadey, J., Moore, M. R., Thompson, G. G. &Payne, A. P. (1985) Quantitative studies on the effects of hormones on structure and porphyrin biosynthesis in the Harderian gland of the female golden hamster. I. Effects of ovariectomy and androgen administration.J. Anat. 142, 59–72.
Steinlechner, S., Steger, R. W., King, T. S. &Reiter, R. J. (1983) Diurnal variation in the serotonin content and turnover in the pineal gland of the Syrian hamster.Neurosci. Lett. 35, 167–72.
Troyer, H. (1980)Principles and Techniques of Histochemistry. 429 pp. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.
Uchida, E. &Koelle, G. B. (1984) Histochemical investigation of criteria for the distinction between monoamine oxidase A and B in various species.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 32, 667–73.
Vivien-Roels, B., Pevet, P., Dubois, M. P., Arendt, J. &Brown, G. M. (1981) Immunohistochemical evidence for the presence of melatonin in the pineal gland, the retina and the Harderian gland.Cell. Tissue Res. 217, 105–15.
Yang, H-Y. T., Goridis, C. &Neff, N. H. (1972) Properties of monoamine oxidase in sympathetic nerve and pineal gland.J. Neurochem. 19, 1241–50.
Wetterberg, L., Geller, E. &Yuwiler, A. (1970) Harderian gland. An extraretinal photoreceptor influencing the pineal gland in neonatal rats.Science 167, 884.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Menendez-Pelaez, A., Martinez-Telleria, A., Vega, J.A. et al. Histochemical detection of monoamine oxidase and alcohol dehydrogenase activities in the Syrian hamster Harderian glands: existence of a sexual dimorphism. Histochem J 21, 125–130 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01007486
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01007486