Summary
Two types of mammosomatotropes (MS), the small-granule and vesicle-granule MS, were detected in mouse adenohypophysis by electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Both cell-types were immunoreactive to prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) antisera. The small-granule MS contained small, round, solid secretory granules about 100 nm in diameter, and were smaller than the classical GH and PRL cell-types. The vesicle-granule MS contained secretory granules like cored vesicles, and were larger than classical GH and PRL cells. Small-granule MS were immunoreactive to both PRL and GH antisera in the same region of the cell cytoplasm; the vesicle-granule MS, however, were immunoreactive to only PRL antiserum in most cytoplasmic areas, and a positive response to both PRL and GH antisera was confined to only certain small areas.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barnes BG (1963) The fine structure of the mouse adenohypophysis in various physiological states. In: Benoit J, Da Lage C (eds) Cytologie de l'adénohypophyse, C.N.R.S., Paris, pp 91–109
Coulter HD (1967) Rapid and improved methods for embedding biological tissues in Epon 812 and Araldite 502. J Ultrastruct Res 20:346–355
Frawley LS, Boockfor FR, Hoeffler JP (1985) Identification by plaque assays of a pituitary cell type that secretes both growth hormone and prolactin. Endocrinology 116:734–737
Fumagalli G, Zanini A (1985) In cow anterior pituitary, growth hormone and prolactin can be packed in separate granules of the same cell. J Cell Biol 100:2019–2024
Harigaya T, Hoshino K (1985) Immunohistochemical study of postnatal development of prolactin-producing cells in C57BL mice. Acta Histochem Cytochem 18:343–351
Harigaya T, Kohmoto K, Hoshino K (1983) Immunohistochemical identification of prolactin-producing cells in the mouse adenohypophysis. Acta Histochem Cytochem 16:51–58
Kurosumi K (1986) Cell classification of the rat anterior pituitary by means of immunoelectron microscopy. J Clin Electron Microsc 19:299–319
Nikitovitch-Winer MB, Atkin J, Maley BE (1987) Colocalization of prolactin and growth hormone within specific adenohypophyseal cells in male, female, and lactating female rats. Endocrinology 121:625–630
Nogami H (1984) Fine-structural heterogeneity and morphologic changes in rat pituitary prolactin cells after estrogen and testosterone treatment. Cell Tissue Res 237:195–202
Nogami H, Yoshimura F (1982) Fine structural criteria of prolactin cells identified immunohistochemically in the male rat. Anat Rec 202:261–274
Sano M (1962) Further studies on the theta cell of the mouse anterior pituitary as revealed by electron microscopy, with special reference to the mode of secretion. J Cell Biol 15:85–97
Sasaki F (1974) Quantitative studies by electron microscopy on the sex-difference and the change during the oestrous cycle in the mouse anterior pituitary. Arch Histol Jpn 37:41–57
Sasaki F, Iwama Y (1988) Sex difference in prolactin and growth hormone cells in mouse adenohypophysis: stereological, morphometric, and immunohistochemical studies by light and electron microscopy. Endocrinology 123:905–912
Yamada K, Yamashita K (1967) An electron microscopic study on the possible site of production of ACTH in the anterior pituitary of mice. Z Zellforsch 80:29–83
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sasaki, F., Iwama, Y. Two types of mammosomatotropes in mouse adenohypophysis. Cell Tissue Res. 256, 645–648 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00225615
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00225615