Payne A P, McGadey J, Johnston H S
J Anat. 1985 Jan;140 ( Pt 1)(Pt 1):25-36.
The Harderian glands of rodents manufacture and store porphyrins and are increasingly used as models for porphyrin biosynthesis. Although porphyrins are normally stored as solid intraluminal accretions, interstitial deposits also occur; in the Harderian gland of the female hamster these are found frequently in ovariectomised or aged animals. The present study (employing double-embedding techniques) suggests that interstitial porphyrin deposits are the result of degenerative processes which conform to an escalating pattern. Initially, tubule epithelial and myoepithelial cells become greatly attenuated and there is neutrophil invasion. Secondly, tubule walls disappear leaving previously intraluminal porphyrin stores free within the interstitium. Finally, large interstitial porphyrin accretions become surrounded by foreign body giant cells or are broken down into smaller deposits within free macrophages. These are often associated with plasma cells. Infiltration of the interstitium by lymphocytes may also occur. It may be that the abnormal localisation of porphyrin in the interstitium (i) evokes an immune response and (ii) is related to elevated blood porphyrin levels found in these animals.
啮齿动物的哈德氏腺制造并储存卟啉，越来越多地被用作卟啉生物合成的模型。尽管卟啉通常以腔内固体沉积物的形式储存，但也会出现间质沉积；在雌性仓鼠的哈德氏腺中，这种情况在去卵巢或老龄动物中经常出现。本研究（采用双重包埋技术）表明，间质卟啉沉积是符合递增模式的退行性过程的结果。最初，小管上皮细胞和肌上皮细胞变得极度萎缩，并有中性粒细胞浸润。其次，小管壁消失，使先前腔内的卟啉储存物在间质内游离。最后，大量间质卟啉沉积物被异物巨细胞包围，或在游离巨噬细胞内分解成较小的沉积物。这些通常与浆细胞有关。淋巴细胞也可能浸润间质。间质中卟啉的异常定位可能（i）引发免疫反应，（ii）与这些动物中发现的血卟啉水平升高有关。
