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Early development of the pituitary gland in Acipenser naccarii (Chondrostei, Acipenseriformes): an immunocytochemical study

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Abstract

The distribution and appearance of secretory cells in the pituitary gland were investigated for the first time in a chondrostean species, Acipenser naccarii, from embryos to juveniles, by immunohistochemistry with mammalian and teleost hormone antisera. On 5.5 day post-fertilization (2.5 days pre-hatching), the pituitary of embryos appears as an oval cell mass with a narrow central cavity (hypophysial cleft), close to the ventral border of diencephalon under the third ventricle. At that time no neurohypophysis is observed, the adenohypophysis is not yet structurally divided into pars intermedia (PI) and pars distalis (PD) and only immunoreactive growth hormone cells are detectable. Seven days post-fertilization (1 day pre-hatching) the immunoreactive thyrotropic cells appear in the ventral region and the immunoreactive adrenocorticotropic cells in the posterior dorsal one. At hatching, some immunoreactive melanotropic (ir-MSH) cells are visible in the posterior dorsal region and some immunoreactive prolactin cells in the anterior one. Eight days later the immunoreactive somatolactin cells appear along the posterior dorsal border and the immunoreactive gonadotropic I (ir-GtH I) cells in the ventral region. Here, a few ir-GtH II cells finally appear in 76–86 day old juveniles. The gland elongates after hatching and in 8-day-old larvae two adenohypophysial regions are identified: a posterior (the presumptive PI) and an anterior one (the presumptive PD). In 156–166-day-old juveniles three regions (rostral and proximal pars distalis and pars intermedia) appear and a high number of ir-MSH cells are visible in the rostral region. The first protrusion of neurohypophysis into adenohypophysis is observed in 76–86-day-old juveniles and increases with age, branching into PI. The rostro-caudal distribution of the immunoreactive cells follows the spatial expression of the corresponding hormone gene families observed in zebra fish, suggesting similar differentiating mechanisms in teleosts and chondrosteans.

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Fig. 1a, b Fig. 2a–c Fig. 3a–c
Fig. 4a–h
Fig. 5a–e Fig. 6a–d

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Acknowledgments

We express our gratitude to all authors listed in the materials and methods section, who generously contributed the antisera. We also thank Professor G. Colombo for critically reviewing the manuscript; Mr G. Giovannini and Mr S. Giovannini of VIP Acquaculture Farm (Orzinuovi, Brescia, Italy) for generously providing the fishes and caring for them in their plant; Miss E. Tagliati for help in immunocytochemical sample preparation. This investigation was supported by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR), Grant No. 2002-05-1892.

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  1. Department of Biology, University of Ferrara, via L. Borsari 46, 44100, Ferrara, Italy

    G. Grandi & M. Chicca

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  1. G. Grandi
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Grandi, G., Chicca, M. Early development of the pituitary gland in Acipenser naccarii (Chondrostei, Acipenseriformes): an immunocytochemical study. Anat Embryol 208, 311–321 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-004-0402-5

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