Abstract
The anuran skin characteristically has different types of glands, most of which are microscopic and are spread throughout the skin. Some species have specialized regions where glands agglomerate, forming macroglands. The description of the external morphology ofOlolygoncentralis(Pombal & Bastos, 1996) revealed the presence of an inguinal gland.Ololygoncentralisis the only species of the genus that has a macrogland. The present study found these inguinal macroglands to be present only on male specimens, thus characterizing it as a sexually dimorphic skin gland. Microscopic analysis revealed that these glands are composed of many syncytial units involved by myoepithelial cells. The center of the syncytium is full of a proteinaceous secretion with a basic pH and the absence of sugar residues. Similar glands observed in other anuran species have been associated with pheromone production, suggesting that the inguinal glands described forO.centralismales may have a similar function.
Highlights
The skin of anurans characteristically has different types of glands, the secretions of which are responsible for a variety of different functions including poison production, antimicrobial protection and the maintenance of skin moisture (Duellman and Trueb 1994, Azevedo et al 2005, Felsemburgh et al 2009)
Most anuran skin glands are distributed throughout the body surface with some differences in distribution between dorsal, ventral and lateral regions
Adult individuals of O. centralis were collected at night at the reproductive site when they were in reproductive activity
Summary
The skin of anurans characteristically has different types of glands, the secretions of which are responsible for a variety of different functions including poison production, antimicrobial protection and the maintenance of skin moisture (Duellman and Trueb 1994, Azevedo et al 2005, Felsemburgh et al 2009). Granular glands are composed of a syncytial structure that secretes variable protein products and depending on the species, produce amines, alkaloids, and bufadienolides (Duellman and Trueb 1994, Sciani et al 2013). Some species have specialized regions with large glandular acini agglomerates that form skin protuberances. These macroglands are named according to their location on the body, such as parotoid, inguinal and lumbar glands.
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