The Harderian gland of Rana esculenta and Bufo viridis originates from an ingrowing of the conjunctival epithelium at the medial corner of the orbit, at stage 28 of Witschi’s standard tables. This primordium organizes into acini at stage 29-30 in Rana esculenta and at stage 30 in Bufo viridis. Afterwards, the glandular cells lengthen and the diameters of the acinar lumina become narrower. Forty days after climax, the Harderian gland reaches adult morphology. The onset of the secretory activity at climax is marked by the appearance of «blue nuclei» in a significant number of glandular cells (10?). This unusual staining of the nuclei, which stain orange with the Mallory trichrome method, has been correlated with an increased rate of RNA synthesis. The secretory granules of the glandular cells are only PAS-positive at stage 29-31 but become also Alcian-positive at metamorphic climax (stage 33), indicating the presence at the latter stage of sulphated mucopolysaccharides, as it has been described in the adult gland of both Rana esculenta and Buio viridis. © 1990 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
ORGANOGENESIS OF THE HARDERIAN-GLAND IN RANA-ESCULENTA AND BUFO-VIRIDIS
CHIEFFI, Gabriella;MINUCCI, Sergio;DI MATTEO, Loredana
1990
Abstract
The Harderian gland of Rana esculenta and Bufo viridis originates from an ingrowing of the conjunctival epithelium at the medial corner of the orbit, at stage 28 of Witschi’s standard tables. This primordium organizes into acini at stage 29-30 in Rana esculenta and at stage 30 in Bufo viridis. Afterwards, the glandular cells lengthen and the diameters of the acinar lumina become narrower. Forty days after climax, the Harderian gland reaches adult morphology. The onset of the secretory activity at climax is marked by the appearance of «blue nuclei» in a significant number of glandular cells (10?). This unusual staining of the nuclei, which stain orange with the Mallory trichrome method, has been correlated with an increased rate of RNA synthesis. The secretory granules of the glandular cells are only PAS-positive at stage 29-31 but become also Alcian-positive at metamorphic climax (stage 33), indicating the presence at the latter stage of sulphated mucopolysaccharides, as it has been described in the adult gland of both Rana esculenta and Buio viridis. © 1990 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
