Holyoke, John B.

Lobitz, Walter C.

Montagna, William

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“The Epidermal Eccrine Sweat Duct Unit” A Morphologic and Biologic Entity12

PRELIMINARY AND SHORT REPORT
"THE EPIDERMAL ECCRINE SWEAT DUCT UNIT"
A Morn'aoLornc AND BIoLoGIc ENTITY* f
WALTER C. L0BITz, Ja., M.D., JoHN B. HOLYOKE, M.D. AND WILLIAM MONTAGNA, PH.D.
The "Epidermal Sweat Duct Unit" is a term we have chosen to name a morphologic and
biologic entity in human skin that includes A) the intraepidermal portion of the sweat duct
(the single layer of lining cells), B) the periductal sheath of two or more epidermal cells
concentrically arranged around the lining cells of the duct, and C) the eccrine sweat pore.
Evidence for this "unit" concept was presented by Pinkus2 and further substantiated by
our studies (J. B. H. & W. C. L., Jr.).2 The following preliminary histochemical studies of
human epidermis now add more support to the concept that this "epidermal sweat duct
unit" is a biological entity within the epidermis and that its cells behave differently from
the adjacent epidermal cells.
A. The epidermal portion of the sweat duct (the single layer of lining cells):
1. In the deeper portion of the "unit" the cytoplasm of these cells is rich in glycogen.
2. Using the Hotchkiss-McManus3 technic the free (luminal) portion of these lining
cells contains Schiff-positive material that is not removed by digestion with
saliva or diastase.
3. This Schiff-positive material is present as an innermost lining of the lumen. It is
maintained intact through the granular zone and stratum corneum to the sweat
pore.
4. The disulfide and sulfhydryl4 concentration of the lining cell is greater than in the
Malpighian cells of epidermis. These concentrations are heaviest in the distal
(luminal) half of the lining cell.
5. The nuclei are more basophilic (Toluidine Blue buffered at pH 5) than those of
the mid-epidermis.
B. The periductal sheath of two or more epidermal cells concentrically arranged around
the lining cells of the duct.
1. The cytoplasm and intercellular bridges of the sheath cells are rich in glycogen in
that portion of the unit lying deep to its granular zone.
2. The disulfide and sulfhydryl concentrations of these "sheath epidermal cells" are
lower than in the adjacent epidermal cells.
3. Their cytoplasm has an increase in metachromatic dust (Toluidine Blue stain buf-
fered to pH 5) over the adjacent epidermal cells.
C. The eccrine sweat pore (the eccrine sweat duct opening on the surface of the skin).
1. The lumen is encircled by the "keratin ring" of O'Brien.5 This keratin ring is rich
in disulfide concentration (stains blue)4 in amounts similar to the adjacent
stratum corneum.
* From the Department of Dermatology (W. C. L. Jr.) and the Department of Pa-
thology (J. B. H.) Hitchcock Clinic and Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hamp-
shire; and the Arnold Biological Laboratory (W. M.) Brown University, Providence, R. I.
f This study was supported by the Research and Development Branch, Office of the
Quartermaster General, Department of the Army, (Contract Number DA44-109 q.m. 1424)
and by the Hitchcock Foundation.
Received for publication January 20, 1954.
157
158 A MORPHOLOGIC AND BIOLOGIC ENTITY
2. Within the keratin ring and lining the lumen of the pore is a condensed ring of
Schiff-positive, saliva-resistant material that is continuous with the Schiff-
positive material lining the lumen of the duct. For the time being we would like
to refer to this structure as "the hyalin ring."
3. This hyalin ring is weaker in disulfide concentrations (stains pink) than the keratin
ring.
4. This hyalin ring is sometimes metachromatic when stained with Toluidine Blue
buffered at pH 5.
Studies are in progress concening the origin, growth center, morphogenesis and function
of this "Epidermal Eccrine Sweat Duct Unit" and its component parts.
REFERENCES
1. PINKUS, HERMANN: Notes on the anatomy and pathology of the skin appendages. I. The
wall of the intra-epidermal part of the sweat duct. J. Invest. Dermat. 2: 175, 1939.
2. HOLYOKE, J. B. & L0BITz, W. C. JR.: Histologic variations in the structure of human
eccrine sweat glands. J. Invest. Dermat. 18: 147, 1952.
3. Hovcrss, R. D.: A microchemical reaction resulting in staining of polysaccharide
structures in fixed tissue preparations. Arch. Biochem. 16: 131, 1948.
4. BARRNETT, R. V.: The histochemical distribution of protein-bound sulfhydryl groups.
J. Nat'l. Cancer Institute, 13: 905, 1953.
5. O'BRIEN, J. P.: The etiology of poral closure. J. Invest. Dermat. 15: 95, 1950.


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“The Epidermal Eccrine Sweat Duct Unit” A Morphologic and Biologic Entity12

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