ISSN:
1432-0878
Keywords:
Parathyroid
;
Secretory cycle
;
Winter frog
;
Ultrastructure
;
Pituitary homoimplantation
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Summary Parathyroid glands of winter frogs (Rana pipiens) were compared by light and electron microscopy with those of winter frogs homoimplanted with pituitary glands. Serum calcium levels of untreated and pituitary-implanted animals were compared also. Forty-eight hours after pituitary implantation, serum calcium is elevated from a mean winter value of 6.2 mg % to 9.3 mg % and, morphologically, the parathyroid gland appears to be stimulated with respect to secretory activity. Compared with parathyroids of untreated winter frogs, intercellular spaces are diminished after pituitary implantation and glandular parenchyma is composed of cells with closely apposed plasma membranes thrown into interdigitating folds. Dense core vesicles are present in the cytoplasm and, together with microtubules, are encountered near plasma membranes. Golgi lamellae contain electron dense material and exhibit budding of dense core vesicles. Neither myelinated multivesicular bodies, presumably cytolysosomes degrading unneeded parathormone and organelles, nor focal dilatations with myelination of Golgi lamellae are encountered in parathyroid cells of pituitary implanted frogs. Rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria do not undergo marked changes in distribution or abundance after pituitary implantation, indicating that the synthetic aspects of the secretory process are little altered in untreated and treated animals. It is suggested that in addition to Ca++ a pituitary factor is involved in the seasonal changes in amphibian parathyroid structure and function.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00307345
