Effects of Castration, Blinding, and the Pineal Gland on the Harderian Glands of the Male Golden Hamster

Abstract

The Harderian glands of the golden hamster exhibit a sexual dimorphism manifested by acinar cells of one type and the presence of porphyrin granules in the female, and by acinar cells of two types and the absence of porphyrin in the male. Castration of male hamsters produces Harderian glands of the female type. In the present study, it was found that a similar effect is not produced by pineal-induced testicular regression and that blinding inhibits the usual castration-induced change in the Harderian glands. Combinations of procedures involving castration, blinding, and pinealectomy of adult male hamsters indicate that the pineal gland is responsible for this inhibition. The findings support the hypothesis that elevated gonadotropin levels are responsible for producing the female type of Harderian glands in castrated males.

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

“…1). A strong correlation with porphyrin concentration was found as well in these experiments, confirming the data by other authors (Clabough and Norvell, 1973) blinded castrated males did not show a porphyrin rise, but, if they were pinealectomiced, porphyrins increased as they usually do in gonadectomiced male hamsters. Similar conclusions have been achieved by RodriguezColunga et al (1991), when castrated males were treated with melatonin.…”

“…Both darkness and melatonin affect gonadotropin secretion by the pituitary (Reiter, 19801, the highest endocrine effect of darkness being the reduction in serum prolactine (Reiter, 1980). Lighting conditions clearly influence the effects of androgens on porphyrin concentrations and HG morphology (Clabough and Norvell, 1973;Formgren and Wetterberg, 1976;Van Jaarsveld et al, 1989;Weterberg, 1972). Melatonin has been found to decrease porphyrin concentration and porphyrin deposits in the HG and serum levels of thyroid hormones in the female Syrian hamster (Hoffman et al, 1989~;Rodriguez-Colunga et al, 1991).…”

Gonadal Effects of Pinealectomy and Immunization against N-acetylindolealkylamines in the Hamster

“…This study confirms the findings of other workers [Reiter, 1967;C labough and N orvell, 1973] that pinealectomy in the golden hamster can, in part, reverse the inhibitory effects on the gonads produced by exposing these animals to a markedly reduced amount of light. In contrast to previous work, a reduction in pituitary weight was seen on the short photoperiod in experi ment 2 [Reiter, 1972], In the present study, no increase in b.w.…”

Effects of Endocrine Glands and Hormone Replacement on the Mast Cell Count of the Harderian Gland of Mice

“…1970. It has been proposed as a link in a retino-pineal-gonadal sys tem [Wetterberget al" 1970: Clabough and Norvell. 1973: Reiter and Klein.…”