ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF THE ANTERIOR LOBE OF PITUITARY IN NORMAL AND CASTRATED RATS

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Abstract
The adenohypophysis of normal and castrated male adult rats was investigated electron microscopically. The animals were sacrificed 50, 128 and 300 days after removals. It was suggested that the chromophobe cell was a maternal or immature acidophil and basophil cell. Both gonadotroph and thyrotroph cells could not be identified electron microscopically by the size of the irrespective [beta]-granules. Considering the concept of the life span of the basophil cell, the polygonal thyrotroph cell appears to be a likely predecessor to the spherical maturated gonadotroph. The prolongation of the castrated status enabled most of the basophil cells to turn into the gonadotrophtype spherical cells with the feature of castration cell or signetring cell. In spite of the marked reduction in the number of thyrotrophs, the thyroid follicles were reversely stimulated and their eplthella significantly increased in height. This fact does not mean that thyrotrophs could independently secrete TSH [thyroid-stimulating hormone] or gonadotrophs GTH [gonadotropic hormones],on is tenable in the present investigation that thyrotroph and gonadotroph may be different steps in the life span of the individual basophil cell.