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Proliferating cells in the rat anterior pituitary during the postnatal period: immunoelectron microscopic observations using monoclonal anti-bromodeoxyuridine antibody

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Abstract

Proliferating cells in the male rat anterior pituitary at 1, 3, 5, and 8 weeks of age were labeled with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and studied by light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry using anti-BrdU. They decreased in number from 402±31/mm2 at 1 week to 50±1.5/mm2 at 8 weeks, while their cell area increased by about twofold during this period. They had a slightly higher nucleus/whole cell (N/C) ratio than non-proliferating cells. According to their ultrastructure we classified them into granular and agranular cells. The percentage of granular cells ranged from 73% to 82% of all the proliferating cells during the period studied. They had many granules of various sizes and shapes, and some contained growth hormone and prolactin. Agranular cells, constituting 18–27% of proliferating cells, were small and had a high N/C ratio, indicating their immaturity. Moreover, they showed several features of folliculo-stellate (FS) cells: they showed no secretory granules in the cytoplasm, extended thin cytoplasmic processes, and sometimes they constructed a follicle among them. These results suggest: (1) the majority of proliferating cells were mature cells producing anterior pituitary hormone(s) and (2) most of the agranular proliferating cells maybe FS cells. The possibility of the latter is discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, 920-0293, Ishikawa, Japan

    Rieko Kominami, Satoru Yasutaka, Yutaka Taniguchi & Harumichi Shinohara

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  1. Rieko Kominami
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  2. Satoru Yasutaka
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  3. Yutaka Taniguchi
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  4. Harumichi Shinohara
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Correspondence to Rieko Kominami.

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Kominami, R., Yasutaka, S., Taniguchi, Y. et al. Proliferating cells in the rat anterior pituitary during the postnatal period: immunoelectron microscopic observations using monoclonal anti-bromodeoxyuridine antibody. Histochem Cell Biol 120, 223–233 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-003-0565-9

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