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Time sequence of ultrastructural changes in the stimulated dog thyroid

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Summary

The kinetics of the effects of acute administration and of multiple injections of TSH on the ultrastructure of the thyroid of the dog were studied. The results are correlated with data obtained by light microscopy and by biochemical study of the tissue. The response to TSH is more delayed in the dog than in the rat; it is characterized by interfollicular and intrafollicular heterogeneity: only after 3 hours do all thyroid cells demonstrate signs of stimulation. The stimulation of each thyroid cell results in three overlapping stages: colloid phagocytosis, colloid digestion and morphological changes suggesting increased biosynthetic activity. The former effects are concomitant with the effects of TSH on the secretory process in vivo and the metabolic activation of thyroid slices in vitro; the latter effect parallels an increased RNA content of the tissue. Thyroids stimulated for 3 and 6 days by TSH exhibit marked hyperplasia and cellular hypertrophy. The colloid is scant and no colloid droplets are evident. After three days of TSH administration, numerous intracellular spaces, containing colloid are observed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Pathological Anatomy and Electron Microscopy, Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, University of Brussels, Belgium

    P. Néve & J. E. Dumont

  2. Biology Department, Euratom, Brussels, Belgium

    P. Néve & J. E. Dumont

Authors
  1. P. Néve
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  2. J. E. Dumont
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Additional information

Work carried out in part under contract Euratom — University of Brussels — University of Pisa n∘ 026-63-4 BIAC, and supported by grant 1011 of the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique Médicale and a grant of the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (Crédit aux Chercheurs: P. Nève).

Our thanks are due to Professor P. Dustin for his help, to Doctor P. Rocmans for his surgical assistance, to Miss E. Bricourt and Mr. G. Vienne for their technical assistance, and to Miss Ch. Borrey for the typing of the manuscript.

Contribution n∘ 496 of the Biology Department, Euratom.

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Néve, P., Dumont, J.E. Time sequence of ultrastructural changes in the stimulated dog thyroid. Z. Zellforsch. 103, 61–74 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335401

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335401

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