Regulation of the aminolevulinate synthase gene in the Syrian hamster Harderian gland: changes during development and circadian rhythm and role of some hormones

The Harderian gland: Endocrine function and hormonal control

The Harderian gland (HG) is an exocrine gland located within the eye socket in a variety of tetrapods. During the 1980s and 1990s the HG elicited great interest in the scientific community due to its morphological and functional complexity, and from a phylogenetic point of view. A comparative approach has contributed to a better understanding of its physiology. Whereas the chemical nature of its secretions (mucous, serous or lipids) varies between different groups of tetrapods, the lipids represent the more common component among different species. Indeed, besides being an accessory to lubricate the nictitating membrane, the lipids may have a pheromonal function. Porphyrins and melatonin secretion is a feature of the rodent HG. The porphyrins, being phototransducers, could modulate HG melatonin production. The melatonin synthesis suggests an involvement of the HG in the retinal-pineal axis. Finally, StAR protein and steroidogenic enzyme activities in the rat HG suggests that the gland contributes to steroid hormone synthesis. Over the past twenty years, much has become known on the hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) HG, unique among rodents in displaying a remarkable sexual dimorphism concerning the contents of porphyrins and melatonin. Mainly for this reason, the hamster HG has been used as a model to compare, under normal conditions, the physiological oxidative stress between females (strong) and males (moderate). Androgens are responsible for the sexual dimorphism in hamster and they are known to control the HG secretory activity in different species. Furthermore, HG is a target of pituitary, pineal and thyroid hormones. This review offers a comparative panorama of the endocrine activity of the HG as well as the hormonal control of its secretory activity, with a particular emphasis on the sex dimorphic aspects of the hamster HG.

Marked sexual dimorphism of lacrimal gland peroxidase in hamster: repression by androgens and estrogens

Peroxidase secreted in tears by the lacrimal glands is a marker of secretory activity of these glands and is believed to have an antimicrobial function. We report for the first time a marked sex difference in lacrimal gland (LG) peroxidase in hamsters ( approximately 3.4-fold higher activity in females), which is due to an unusual repression by physiological levels of androgens in males. LG peroxidase activity was markedly induced in a time-dependent manner after gonadectomy in males and also females ( approximately 8- and 2-fold, respectively) and was strongly repressed by androgen treatment in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Estrogen treatment of gonadectomized hamsters could also repress LG peroxidase but not below female levels. These repressions by androgens and estrogens were significantly prevented upon co-treatment with their respective receptor antagonists. Western blotting showed that differences in LG peroxidase specific activity, in different sex hormonal states and treatments were due to changes in the levels of peroxidase protein in LG. A tear peroxidase with a clear sex difference suggests that it might also have other novel function(s) in hamster tears.

Restricted feeding uncouples circadian oscillators in peripheral tissues from the central pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus

In mammals, circadian oscillators exist not only in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which harbors the central pacemaker, but also in most peripheral tissues. It is believed that the SCN clock entrains the phase of peripheral clocks via chemical cues, such as rhythmically secreted hormones. Here we show that temporal feeding restriction under light-dark or dark-dark conditions can change the phase of circadian gene expression in peripheral cell types by up to 12 h while leaving the phase of cyclic gene expression in the SCN unaffected. Hence, changes in metabolism can lead to an uncoupling of peripheral oscillators from the central pacemaker. Sudden large changes in feeding time, similar to abrupt changes in the photoperiod, reset the phase of rhythmic gene expression gradually and are thus likely to act through a clock-dependent mechanism. Food-induced phase resetting proceeds faster in liver than in kidney, heart, or pancreas, but after 1 wk of daytime feeding, the phases of circadian gene expression are similar in all examined peripheral tissues.

Hormonal effects on hamster lacrimal gland female-specific major 20 kDa secretory protein and its immunological similarity with submandibular gland major male-specific proteins

Hormonal regulation of a major 20 kDa protein of hamster exorbital lacrimal gland (LG) was studied by SDS-PAGE profile analysis and the purified protein's antisera was used to screen tissues of hamster and other species for crossreacting proteins. This protein was seen in female LG but not in males and late-pregnant or hCG-treated females. Low estrogen state in females after gonadectomy, prolonged light-deprivation, prolonged starvation or lactation increased its level several folds to approximately 20% of LG soluble proteins and similar levels were induced in males after gonadectomy (low androgen state). However, light-deprivation or melatonin treatment-induced low androgen state in males had no effect. In gonadectomized hamsters, this LG protein was obliterated on treatment with androgens, estrogens or thyroid hormones. Only estrogen inhibition of LG 20 kDa was prevented by simultaneous tamoxifen administration. Simultaneous treatment of gonadectomized hamsters with gonadotrophins and estrogen/androgen did not prevent the LG 20 kDa protein's inhibition. Relative potencies of estrogens (3.6 microg daily dose) were: estradiol-17beta approximately diethylstilbestrol > estrone > estradiol-17alpha, while estriol and chlorotrianisene had no effect. Dexamethasone, progesterone, prolactin, hypothyroid state or adrenalectomy had no effect on LG 20 kDa expression. Western blot studies confirmed the marked repression of LG 20 kDa by estrogen androgen and thyroid hormone and detected the protein in tears of females and gonadectomized hamsters but not in males. Interestingly, among other tissues tested, crossreaction was only seen with the estrogen-repressed 24 and 20.5 kDa major male-specific secretory proteins of hamster submandibular glands (SMG) which were previously reported by us. This strongly indicated that the LG and SMG proteins are products of the same or closely related genes. A possible role for these hamster sex-specific LG and SMG major secretory proteins in olfactory communication is suggested.

Cell biology of the harderian gland

The harderian gland is an orbital gland of the majority of land vertebrates. It is the only orbital gland in anuran amphibians since the lacrimal gland develops later during phylogenesis in some reptilian species. Perhaps because it is not found in man, little interest was paid to this gland until about four decades ago. In recent years, however, the scientific community has shown new interest in analyzing the ontogenetic and morphofunctional aspects of the harderian gland, particularly in rodents, which are the preferred experimental model for physiologists and pathologists. One of the main characteristics of the gland is the extreme variety not only in its morphology, but also in its biochemical properties. This most likely reflects the versatility of functions related to different adaptations of the species considered. The complexity of the harderian gland is further shown in its control by many exogenous and endogenous factors, which vary from species to species. The information gained so far points to the following functions for the gland: (1) lubrication of the eye and nictitating membrane, (2) a site of immune response, particularly in birds, (3) a source of pheromones, (4) a source of saliva in some chelonians, (5) osmoregulation in some reptiles, (6) photoreception in rodents, (7) thermoregulation in some rodents, and (8) a source of growth factors.