HYPOTHALAMIC CHANGES IN DIABETIC CHINESE HAMSTERS - A SEMI-QUANTITATIVE, LIGHT AND ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC STUDY

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 47  (6) , 516-522
Abstract
Eight male congentially diabetic Chinese hamsters (DCH) and 8 heterozygotic controls were studied for a period of about 20 mo. Final glycemia and body wt were significantly higher in DCH (P < 0.001). After whole body perfusion brains were removed and processed for light microscopy and EM. Qualitative and quantitative light microscopic studies of semithin sections of hypothalami revealed significant changes in DCH. Accumulation of lipid droplets was found in the external layer of the median eminence (P < 0.001). Cell bodies of .beta.-tanycytes (.PI. < 0.01) and of arcuate nucleus neurons (.PI. < 0.001) were hypotrophic. By EM, the lipid droplets were localized in .beta.-tanycyte processes. Apical surfaces of .alpha.- and .beta.-tanycytes of DCH had fewer digitations. Intracytoplasmic organelles ofarcuate nucleus neurons were reduced in number and size. These findings suggest a primary pathogenetic role of the hypothalamic-hypophyseal axis in diabetes of Chinese hamsters.

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