Ligh- and electron-microscopic immunocytochemistry of somatotropes in the anterior pituitary gland of European ferret, Mustela putorius furo

Abstract

Light-microscopic immunocytochemistry of ferret anterior pituitary revealed the localization of somatotropes in the pars distalis, but no immunoreactive cells were detected in the pars tuberalis. Ultrastructural studies by superimposition immunocytochemistry and immuno-electron microscopy, elucidated the morphological heterogeneity of these somatotropic cells. They were classified into 2 subtypes on the basis of size of the secretory granules. Type-I cells with small granules (mean diameter, 192 nm), were considered to be the immature somatotrop, while Type-II cells, with comparatively larger secretory granules (mean diameter, 257 nm), were considered to be the matured form of Type-I cells and the typical somatotropic cell-type, and were much more predominant than the Type-I cells. The fact that Type-II cells had a distinct Golgi zone and many mitochondria, while in Type-I cells the intracellular organelles were generally less developed, supports this suggestion. In addition to these two extreme subtypes, several intermediate forms were also encountered that may represent different transitional phases during the conversion of Type I to Type II. Protein A-gold immuno-electron microscopy illustrated the specific localization of growth hormone over the granules, with no labelling over any other cytoplasmic organelles of the 2 somatotrope subtypes.

Description of Two Types of Mammosomatotropes in Mink (<i>Mustela vison</i>) Adenohypophysis: Changes in the Population of Mammosomatotropes under Different Physiological Conditions

“…1989b[. or the immunocy tochemical labeling shown by the secretory granules as in the bat [Ishibashi and Shiino, 1989a], On the other hand, our findings differ from those of Mohanty et al [1993]. who could not detect MS cells in the adenohypophysis of the ferret, another member of the Mustelidae, using adja cent sections immunolabeled with anti-GH and anti-PRL sera.…”