Immunohistochemical identification of androgen receptors in human lacrimal glands

Androgens are thought to play a role in the regulation of the human lacrimal gland. Androgen receptor mRNA has been isolated from human lacrimal tissue; however, it is not known which cell(s) in human lacrimal tissue may contain androgen receptors. This study is an immunohistochemical investigation of the location and distribution of androgen receptors in human lacrimal tissue. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human lacrimal gland tissues were subjected to established antigen retrieval techniques. This was followed by routine immunohistochemical staining, employing one of two anti-human androgen receptor monoclonal antibodies, each specific for a different antigenic epitope within the receptor molecule. The two anti-human androgen receptor monoclonal antibodies demonstrated similar staining patterns in adjacent tissue sections from the same human lacrimal gland specimens. Specific staining for androgen receptors was observed in the nucleus and cytoplasm of lacrimal acinar cells, as well as in lacrimal duct cells. Both the intensity of staining and the number of cells demonstrating staining varied among specimens. We also observed staining for androgen receptors in interstitial and inflammatory cells distributed between lacrimal acinar units in some specimens. Androgen receptors are located in human lacrimal gland acinar cell nuclei as observed in other animals. However, the detection of androgen receptors in lacrimal interacinar interstitial and inflammatory cells suggests that androgens may play a role in modulating the activities of cells other than lacrimal cells within the human lacrimal gland.