Electron microscope studies on the fine structures of the pars nervosa and pars intermedia, and their morphological interrelation in the normal rat hypophysis

Morphological Features of the Hypophyseal Intermediate Lobe Directly Related to its Activity

“…This finding is not in keeping with relevant literature (ROMEIS, 1940, KUROSUMI et al, 1961DUCHEN, 1962;HOWE and MAXWELL, 1966;THODY, 1967, 1969a, b;RAFTERY, 1969) (BRYANT, 1916;VANDERBURGH, 1917;RASMUSSEN, 1928;KUROSUMI et al, 1961) an observation that could not be confirmed in either the present study or those made by TRAUTMAN (1909) on a large series of animals.…”

“…Most investigators report that the intermediate lobe is virtually avascular (VANDERBURGH, 1917;KUROSUMI et al, 1961;HOWE and MAXWELL, 1966) and the source of its nutritive supply is not clear. DANIEL and PRICHARD (1956) reported that the blood supply of the intermediate lobe is derived from the short portal vessels of the posterior lobe.…”

Histological and Histochemical Studies on the Rat Pituitary Pars Intermedia

“…Therefore, a possibility of admixture of neurosecretory substance into the intermedia colloid may be seeming, but this may not be the only mean of production of the colloid. Electron microscopy is powerless to solve this question, because the neurosecretory substance liberated from the nerve terminal is no longer electron opaque and therefore cannot be identified (KUROSUMI et al 1962).…”

“…6). Our previous observation with the electron microscope indi- cated that the axon with neurosecretory granules might invade into the cells of the pars intermedia (KUROSUMI et al 1962). Therefore, the CH-positive substance found in the pars intermedia may indicate the nerve fibers laden with the neurosecretory substance, and not represent a fluid neurosecretory substance which may be liberated from the secretory nerve terminals in the pars nervosa and streaming through the in- Cells with dark stained cytoplasm with fuchsin after PAS technique are coincident in all respects with the dark cells in azan preparations which appear deep blue or bluish purple as a result of strong affinity to aniline blue.…”

“…We have reported several findings with the use of electron microscope on the ultrastructure of the rat intermedia cells and their morphological interrelation to the neural lobe (KUROSUMI et al 1962). Simultaneous observations with the light microscope have revealed certain interesting facts concerning the histology and histochemistry of this tissue which have not been reported hitherto.…”