EFTEM cytochemistry and sexual dimorphism of secretory granules in male and female hamster submandibular glands

Abstract

After glutaraldehyde fixation followed by osmium tetroxide postfixing, the secretory granules of acinar cells in male hamster submandibular glands (SGs) exhibit a characteristic bipartite substructure, with an electron-lucid rim and a more electron-dense central core. In female hamsters, the reverse is seen, with the larger portion of the granules forming an electron-lucid core and an outer electron-dense crescent rim. In the present study of endogenous peroxidase (PO) activity of male and female hamster SGs, secretory granules in the acinar cells were studied by DAB cytochemical technique. Individual granules showed bipartite substructure with the PO activity in a positive center core and unreacted lucid rim in both the male and the female acinar cells. Through isolation of granular fractions, the male and the female granules exhibited the same bipartite structure. We also examined the relation between the PO activity and counterstained areas in male and female hamster SGs, and the secretory granules of acinar cells by using EFTEM. In the male SG, the secretory granules exhibited the characteristic bipartite substructure to carry out parallel-EELS, nitrogen reflecting the presence of DAB moieties and uranium from counterstaing the presence the central core but not in the rim. On the other hand, the female bipartite secretory granules of the SG, exhibit the nitrogen reflecting the presence in the central core and uranium in the rim.