# MECHANISM OF ECCRINE SWEAT GLAND FUNCTION

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 1989 · $161,605

## Abstract

The eccrine sweat glands represent one of the largest cutaneous organs and
serve several vital functions.  Eccrine sweating is the only means by which
human and some primates regulate body temperature during exercise and heat
exposure.  They also serve as an excretory organ as well as a device for
conservation of vital electrolytes by ductal absorption.  Their regulatory
role in maintenance of normal physiology of the skin has been increasingly
recognized.  Most important, they are the target organ in the pathogenesis
of cystic fibrosis and have proven to be a feasible research model the
study of its basic defect.

Our goal is to more completely delineate the normal mechanism of sweat
secretion at the cellular or membrane level.  Recognizing the mission of
our laboratory as the world's most active research center studying the
mechanism of sweat secretion, our goals are ambitious and comprehensive.
Our specific goals include:  1) To completely elucidate all three processes
of stimulus secretion coupling for eccrine sweat secretion, namely: (a)
explore the possible involvement of a variety of agonists other than
adrenergic and cholinergic agents and their regulatory roles; (b) signal
transduction, especially the interrelationship between
polyphosophoinositides metabolism, Ca2+, cyclic nucleotides and protein
kinase C; and (c) mechanism of ion transport.  2) To further clarify the
mechanism whereby sweat gland function improves during acclimatization.  3)
To elucidate the role of proteolytic enzymes in eccrine sweating as well as
in pathophysiology of the skin.  4) To clarify the role of arachidonate
metabolsim in regulation of eccrine sweating.  5) To further clarify the
origin and nature of major protein components in human sweat.  6)  To
explore the possibility of organ culture and cell culture as the future
research models.  Monkey palm eccrine sweat glands will be mainly used as a
model. All the methodologies are currently operational in the PI's
laboratory, including sweat induction from an isolated eccrine sweat gland
in vitro, electrophysiological techniques, TLC, HPLC, organ and cell
cultures, electron probe X-ray microanalysis, chromatographic and
electrophoretic techniques.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3155299
- **Project number:** 5R01AR025339-12
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** Z1H9VJS8NG16
- **Principal Investigator:** KENZO SATO
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1989
- **Award amount:** $161,605
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1978-06-01 → 1991-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3155299

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3155299, MECHANISM OF ECCRINE SWEAT GLAND FUNCTION (5R01AR025339-12). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3155299. Licensed CC0.

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