April 2014
Volume 55, Issue 13
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   April 2014
Rat Eyelids, Meibomian Glands, and Glands of Zeis Have Gastrin Receptors
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Mortimer Lorber
    Pharmacology & Physiology, Georgetown Univ School of Medicine, Bethesda, MD
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships Mortimer Lorber, None
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Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science April 2014, Vol.55, 4441. doi:
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      Mortimer Lorber; Rat Eyelids, Meibomian Glands, and Glands of Zeis Have Gastrin Receptors. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2014;55(13):4441.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

Purpose: In ARVO 2013, we showed that rat exorbital lacrimal glands have gastrin receptors. Might this also be true for the contents of their eyelids?

Methods: Upper llids of 3 male and 2 female rats were excised and formalin-fixed. Immunohistochemistry employed a rabbit polyclonal antibody from Alamone Labs in Jerusalem against the gastrin receptor, CCKBR. This antibody reacted with rat tissues. A 1:500 dilution in buffered saline, pH 7.4, was used. The positive control was the rat stomach whose parietal cells were stained. The negative control omitted the primary antibody.

Results: All major eyelid tissues stain. The nuclei of the entire palpebral conjunctiva stain intensely; their cytoplasm slightly to moderately. Goblet cell nuclei stain intensely but their mucus is unstained. Nuclei of the eyelid epidermis stain from slight to moderately and their cytoplasm moderately. Nuclei of the meibomian glands generally do not stain, but some are dark. Their cytoplasm stains slightly to moderately. The Glands of Zeis are near the eyelash follicles whose nuclei stain intensely, as do the basal and lower stratum granulosum cells of the epidermis whose cytoplasm stains prominently. The nuclei of the Glands of Zeis stain slightly or moderately; their cytoplasm slightly. Myoepithelial cell nuclei stain less than their cytoplasm. Nuclei of CT fibroblasts stain intensely, but their cytoplasm only slightly.

Conclusions: Immunoreactive gastrin is abundant in the rat eyelid. Its presence in rat lacrimal glands which provide aqueous fluid, and in meibomian glands and glands of Zeis which provide lipids indicates that gastrin is needed for both major components of tears. However, gastrin’s action or mechanism of action may differ among these glands. Gastrin is present throughout the duct system of the exorbital lacrimal gland, but is in the acini of the eyelid glands whose duct systems appear shorter than that of the rat exorbital lacrimal gland.

Keywords: 419 anatomy • 526 eyelid  
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