Title: On the granules in the axillary apocrine sweat glands of the Japanese children
Abstract: Histochemical investigation was carried out on the granules in the axillary apocrine sweat glandular cells of ten Japanese children of both sexes. Observations were done by age.1. Very fine granule-like substances appeared for the first time in the cytoplasm of the glandular cells of a one month old infant.In the child of eight years old, these fine granular substances were recognizable with any of the staining methods. But these substances were morphologically, undecided as the secretory granules. Typical secretory granules based on staining reaction and on form, appeared in the twelve-year-old child.2. In children under eight years of age, substances, that were contained in the mature secretory granules were recognized as granular substances, by means of the Giemsa staining method.3. Maturity of the secretory granules proceeded in two ways towards the peripheral region of the granule from the center and vice versa.4. Both kinds of secretory granules, mature and immature ones, mostly, appeared in the portion below the cuticular border, but sometimes in the supranuclear area and rarely infranuclear area.5. In children over twelve years of age, the secretory granules contained such substances as glycoprotein, nucleicprotein, basophilia related to sulfur content of proteins, lipin, lipofuscin, mucopolysaccharide, acid-mucopolysaceharide and other polysaccharides.In the children over eight years of age, the granular substances contained almost the same chemical components as in the children over twelve years, with exception of lipofuscin.6. In some children under six years of age, very fine granular substances contained basophilia related to the sulfur content of proteins.