Unique ultrastructure of exorbital lacrimal glands in male NOD and BALB/c mice.

Lacrimal glands of male NOD and BALB/c mice have very small, pleomorphic acinar lumens. Acini contain isolated zones of highly complex cell surface interdigitations at the basal surface, sometimes occurring between acinar and myoepithelial cells. In NOD mice, cytological abnormalities, including mitochondrial deterioration, pleomorphic and heterogeneous cytoplasmic vacuoles, and lipid accumulation are evident within acinar cells at 1 month. Accumulation of lipid is further increased as the animal ages, accompanied by lymphocytic infiltration and destruction of acini. These results demonstrate alterations from normal cytology as early as 1 month in NOD mice, well before detection of clinical signs of Sjögren syndrome.