Search Results

Two hypophysial partes distales were grafted under the kidney capsule of intact female rats. The plasma prolactin levels 15, 45 and 90 days after the operation were determined. At the same postoperative intervals the grafted glands of some of the operated rats were processed for conventional light and electron microscopy and for the demonstration of prolactin, FSH and LH according to the unlabelled immunoperoxidase procedure. The ultrastructural characteristics of the transplanted secretory cells and the amount and distribution of the immunoreactive material within their cytoplasm were used to evaluate approximately the secretory activity of these cells.

Although levels of prolactin in the three experimental groups were significantly higher than those in control rats, a decrease in prolactin level was detected in 71% of the samples taken 45 days after operation. At day 15 the graft was completely surrounded by lymphoid cells whereas at day 45 these cells had invaded the whole graft. In the group sampled at day 90 the graft was free of lymphoid cells. When traced immunocytochemically the three types of cells followed different patterns of evolution after transplantation. Most prolactotrophs were hypertrophied in all groups but, in addition, they underwent a process leading to hyperplasia some time between days 45 and 90 after operation. Syncytial formations which probably correspond to multinucleated prolactotrophs were present only in the group sampled at day 90. The number of LH and FSH cells had decreased in the group at day 45 and by day 90 the former remained scarce but immunoreactive FSH cells were no longer found. At the ultrastructural level clear signs of involution of gonadotrophs and degradation by macrophages were seen in the graft 45 days after operation.

The relation between the morphology and hormone content of the graft and hormone content of the plasma is discussed, together with several questions raised by the results. Pituitary transplantation can be used as an experimental model only if the time-dependent changes described here are taken into account.

Laboratorio de Investigaciones Endócrino-Oncológicas, Instituto de Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, U.N.C., 5.500 Mendoza, Argentina

(Received 16 August 1976)

The secretion of prolactin by the pars distalis transplanted at a site remote from the hypothalamus was first reported by Desclin (1950). This author observed the persistence of the ovarian corpora lutea in hypophysectomized, oestrogen-treated rats bearing a pars distalis graft under the kidney capsule. Everett (1954, 1956) confirmed Desclin's findings, but in addition demonstrated that liberation of prolactin from the pituitary gland graft occurred independently of oestrogen. Mühlbock & Boot (1959) found that transplanted hypophyses release prolactin continuously. Chen, Amenomori, Lu, Voogt & Meites (1970) have determined the serum prolactin concentrations, measured by radioimmunoassay, in hypophysectomized, ovariectomized rats with 1, 2 or 4 pars distalis grafts under the kidney capsule. Under these conditions the amount of prolactin released by the transplants was judged to be similar to that

Abstract

The effect of glucocorticoid deprivation induced in male rats by adrenalectomy on the pancreatic zymogen granules was studied. Zymogen granules were purified from control, sham-operated and adrenalectomized animals studied 1, 3 and 7 days after surgery. The zymogen granules were characterized by flow cytometry, and in each granule the size (based on the forward or low angle light scatter (FSC) parameter), membrane complexity (based on side or 90° light scatter (SSC) parameter) and amylase content were evaluated. Amylase content/DNA ratio in pancreatic homogenates was also analyzed. The zymogen granules of the control rats were found to be distributed in two populations: a major one – R₁ (95·45 ± 1·21%) – containing zymogen granules with a smaller mean size and complexity, and a minor population - R₂ (4·45 ± 0·24%) – the granules of which had a mean size which was larger and more complex. At day +1 after adrenalectomy the zymogen granules were significantly (P<0·05) smaller than those of control animals. The R₂ zymogen granules were similar to those from R₁ as regards their size, but were more complex, suggesting that the immediate effect of glucocorticoid deprivation is to induce a depletion of the larger granules presumably belonging to the R₂ population. The amount of amylase per granule did not vary at day +1 after adrenalectomy, although the amylase content/size ratio per granule was significantly (P<0·001) increased. This mechanism could be explained in terms of the existence of a bypass defined in the adrenalectomized animals between the granular content and cytosolic enzymes. Prolongation of the adrenalectomy period to 3 and 7 days resulted in a progressive increase in zymogen granule size and complexity, both parameters showing similar characteristics to those of the controls at day +7 after adrenalectomy. However, the percentage of zymogen granules within the R₁ and R₂ populations was clearly different from that of controls since the R₂ population was much more numerous (11·25 ± 0·75% and 15·25 ± 1·15% (adrenalectomized rats at days +3 and +7 respectively) versus 4·45 ± 0·24% (controls)). An increase in the content of amylase per DNA was observed in adrenalectomized rats at day +1 although this transient effect cannot be related to glucocorticoid deprivation because it was also observed in sham-operated rats (day +1). However, a significant reduction, nearly 64%, in the amylase content/DNA ratio is produced by the absence of glucocorticoids 7 days after adrenalectomy and this is associated with a reduction in the content of amylase in each individual zymogen granule which reaches a minimum 3 days after adrenalectomy. It should be noted that, despite this, the enzyme concentration in each granule remains constant as there is a parallel decrease in the zymogen granule amylase content and size.

Journal of Endocrinology (1995) 147, 431–440