Secretion mode of the harderian gland of rats after stimulation by cholinergic secretagogues.

We studied the morphological changes in rat Harderian glands 30 min after injection of cholinergic secretagogues. In controls, the glands exhibited a tubuloalveolar structure with relatively wide lumina, in which some osmiophilic dense droplets exocytosed from glandular cells were observed. Also two types of glandular cells (type A cells and type B cells sometimes showing exocytotic figures of lipid-secretory vacuoles) and myoepithelial cells were recognized. After injection of carbamylcholine chloride (subcutaneously, 0.1 mg/kg body weight), which has both nicotinic and muscarinic actions, many of the alveolar lumina dilated and contained a small number of osmiophilic droplets. Exocytotic figures in both types of cells and a pronounced decrease in the number of vacuoles in the glandular cells were observed. However, there was no evidence of apocrine or holocrine secretion. The injection of the higher dose of carbamylcholine (1.0 mg/kg) caused fusion of secretory vacuoles in the apical cytoplasm and contraction of myoepithelial cells. Most alveoli showed no clear lumina; their centers were jammed with cytoplasmic fragments and accumulated secretory products. Massive discharge of cytoplasmic fragments containing some secretory vacuoles was often observed. This may be classified as apocrine secretion. Bethanechol chloride (subcutaneous injection, 1.0 mg/kg), a muscarinic agonist, stimulated the Harderian-gland secretion, and enhanced exocytosis was observed. The discharge from the glandular cells, following injection of various doses of carbamylcholine, were almost inhibited by atropine sulfate, a muscarinic antagonist. The present results suggested that the cholinergic systems regulate the secretion of rat Harderian-gland cells which have muscarinic receptors.