[Lysosomes in the regulation of hormone secretion in endocrine cells]

Enzyme cytochemistry and immunocytochemistry were utilized to study the morphological alterations of the lysosomes and associated crinophagic and autophagic structures in the hypo-secreting pituitary gonadotrophin and Leydig cells induced by exogenous androgen. The lysosomes and autophagic vacuoles in the electron micrographs were quantitatively analysed. The morphological and quantitative data led to the following conclusions: 1) The hypo-secreting gonadotrophin showed an increase in the number of lysosomes and an enhancement of crinophagy. It demonstrated once again that the lysosomes in the protein and polypeptide hormone secreting cells play a role in the regulation of secretion process by means of the crinophagy. 2) The hypo-secreting 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.