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Expression of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) in the Harderian gland of male and female hamsters during postnatal development
A. Fernández-Suárez1, S. Carbajo2, J.M. López1 and E. Carbajo-Pérez1
1Department of Morphology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, Oviedo and 2Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
Offprint requests to: Dr. Eduardo Carbajo Perez, Departamento de
Morfologia y Biologia Celular, Facultad de Medicina, CI Julian Claveria
sIn, Oviedo E·33006, Spain
Summary. The expression of argyrophilic nucleolar
organizer regions (AgNORs) was studied in the different
secretory cell types of the Harderian gland of male and
female Syrian hamsters during postnatal development.
Mean AgNOR area was calculated for each cell type in
paraffin sections from 7-, 14-,21-,28-, 45- and 90-dayold
animals. AgNOR content was similar in male type 1-
cells and in female cells, decreasing in both cell types
from the 7th to the 14th day, increasing afterwards at the
21st day, and remaining at relatively stable levels from
that point to the end of the study. AgNOR content of
male type II-cells was greater than in any other cell type
studied, and was greater in 45- and 90-day-old animals
than in 28-day-olds. Changes of AgNOR content in type
I-cells of male and female hamsters during the first two
weeks seem to be related to changes in proliferative
activity while metabolic activity might be responsible for
changes taking place later on. Our results also support
that male type 1- and type II-cells have a different
biological behaviour and that type II-cells are far from
being degenerating cells. Histol Histopathol 12, 729-734 (1997)
Key words: AgNOR, Harderian gland , Postnatal
development, Hamster
DOI: 10.14670/HH-12.729
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