Age- and sex-associated changes in prosaposin and its receptors in the lacrimal glands of rats.
2019
Prosaposin, a saposin precursor, is a potent
neurotrophic factor found in several tissues and various
biological fluids. Saposin-deficient patients have
different ophthalmic disorders, indicating a relationship
between ocular health and prosaposin. However, there is
little information about prosaposin on the ocular surface.
Because ocular functions are diverse and depend on age
and sex, we examined whether prosaposin and its
receptors, G protein-coupled receptor 37 (GPR37) and
GPR37L1, are expressed in the major ocular glands, the
extra orbital lacrimal gland (ELG), and harderian gland
(HG) of rats and whether sex and aging affect their
expression. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that
prosaposin and its receptors were expressed in the ELGs
and HGs of rats, although their expression varied based
on the type of gland, age, and sex. Prosaposin, GPR37,
and GPR37L1 were expressed in the basolateral
membranes and cytoplasm of acinar cells of the ELGs,
and their immunoreactivities were higher in female rats
of menopausal age than age-matched male rats.
However, such age- and sex-related differences in the
immunoreactivities of prosaposin, GPR37, and
GPR37L1 were not observed in the HGs. Triple
immunofluorescence labelling revealed that prosaposin,
GPR37, and GPR37L1 were co-localised in the acinar
and ductal cells in the ELGs, although the degrees of
colocalization varied according to the age and sex of the
rats. Together, the present results showed that prosaposin
and its receptors were expressed in the major ocular
glands of rats, and their immunoreactivities to the ELGs
differed considerably with age and sex.
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