Dermatology: the eccrine sweat glands.

Abstract

Although much is known about the human eccrine sweat glands as a re­ sult of extensive studies carried out during the past half century, surprisingly little can be stated concerning the function of these organs without fear of contradiction. This situation has arisen for three major reasons: (a) It is now known that during active function the cellular structure of the eccrine sweat gland is undergoing significant alterations. (b) The function of the sweat gland is, in great part, dependent on the state of both the external and internal environment. (Careful control of both of these variables is essential to an experimental situation from which interpretable information is to be derived.) (c) Interpret�tion of the function of the sweat gland is considerably influenced by the method of sweat collection, the area from which the sweat is collected and the method employed to produce sweating. This review will not deal with specific diseases of the eccrine sweat gland. Nor will it be concerned with the alterations in structure and function of the sweat apparatus that occur when the skin itself is altered by disease. We will not emphasize environmental physiology and the problems of acclimatiza­ tion . The reader is referred to a most excellent and comprehensive review by . Weiner & Hellmann (53) on the total eccrine and apocrine sweat gland story. The interested reader, too, should refer to the recent book edited by Yoshi� mura, Ogata & Itoh on climatic physiology (54). In this review it is our hope to integrate, as much as possible, the many aspects now known of eccrine sweat gland structure and function in health and associated with non-cutaneous medical disease. In this way perhaps the interpretations of isolated findings on this subject will be made easier. In addition, we will take opportunities, too. to emphasize the many areas in which further investigative studies may be especially fruitful. On the basis of location, two types of eccrine glands can be differentiated: those on the palms and soles which respond primarily to mental work and emotional stimuli, and those in the remainder of the skin which act mainly in a thermoregulatory role. All eccrine sweat glands are innervated by sym­ pathetic fibers, but the secretion is induced by cholinergic agents. The nerve