内分泌细胞中溶酶体对激素分泌调节的作用

本实验用外源性雄激素引起垂体促性腺激素细胞和睾丸间质细胞分泌抑制,对这两种细胞中的溶酶体及分泌吞噬和自体吞噬活动进行了超微结构形态观察和半定量分析。实验中应用了CMP酶细胞化学技术和免疫胶体金技术。研究结果显示,在分泌受抑制状态下,垂体促性腺激素细胞中溶酶体增多,分泌吞噬活动加强;与此同时,睾丸间质细胞也表现溶酶体增多、自体吞噬活动加强。这些结果不仅再次证明在分泌蛋白质激素细胞中溶酶体以分泌吞噬的方式参与了激素分泌调节,更重要的是初步证明在分泌类固醇激素细胞的分泌调节中,也有溶酶体的参与,其形式是自体吞噬作用。细胞通过自体吞噬作用得以在短时间内清除一部分合成激素的细胞器和其中的激素,这可能是分泌类固醇激素的细胞及时有效地调整激素分泌量的一项重要机制,与分泌蛋白质激素细胞的分泌吞噬有着相同的意义。

LYSOSOMES IN THE REGULATION OF HORMONE SECRETION IN ENDOCRINE CELLS

Enzyme cytochcmistry and immunocytochcmistry were utilized to study the morphological alterations of the lysosomes and associated crinophagic and autophagic structures in the hypo-secreting pituitary gonadotrophes and Leydig cells induced by exogenous androgen. The lysosomcs and autophagic vacuoles in the electron micrographs were quantitatively analysed. The morphological and quantitative data led to the following conclusions:1) The hypo-sccrcting gonadotrophcs showed an increase in the number of lysosomcs and an enhancement of crinophagy. It demonstrated once again that the lysosomes in the protein and polypcptidc hormone secreting cells play a role in the regulation of secretion process by means of the crinophagy.2) The hypo-sccreting Leydig cells showed an increase in the number of lysosomes and an enhancement of autophagic activity. This indicated that the lysosomes in the steroid hormone secreting cells also function in the regulation of hormone secretion but by means of autophagy which scavenge a part of steroid-producing apparatus and hormone. The autophagy might have similar effect in regulation of steroid secretion to the crinophagy in regulation of protein secretion.