Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - Department of Histology and Cytology

A total number of (48) adult rabbits 2243adult male rabbits and 2243 adult female rabbits with an average age ranged from (5 - 6) months were collected in the four seasons of the year (12 animals for each season) to obtain (48) pair of the harderian glands. The histology, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and ultrastructural studies of the harderian gland were described in detail during the autumn season of the year to establish a standard against which the subsequent seasons of the year (winter, spring and summer) would be compared. The harderian gland of both male and female rabbits consisted of two lobes (large pink lobe and small white one). It was a tubuloalveolar gland. The secretory unites of both lobes were lined with a single layer of epithelial cells with a cycle in their secretory activity. The white lobe was lined with simple columnar cells with small intracytoplasmic vacuoles. While, the pink one was lined with simple cuboidal cells with large intracytoplasmic vacuoles. Both androgen and estrogen receptors gave positive immunoreactivity in male and female respectively but their area percent varied in different seasons

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