Abstract
The pituitary is involved in the regulation of endocrine homeostasis. Therefore, animal models of pituitary disease based on a thorough knowledge of pituitary anatomy are of great importance. Accordingly, we aimed to perform a qualitative and quantitative description of polypeptide hormone secreting cellular components of the Göttingen minipig adenohypophysis using immunohistochemistry and stereology. Estimates of the total number of cells immune-stained for adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), prolactin (PRL), and growth hormone (GH) were obtained with the optical fractionator technique using Stereo Investigator software. Moreover, 3D reconstructions of cell distribution were made. We estimated that the normal minipig adenohypophysis contains, on average, 5.6 million GH, 3.5 million PRL, and 2.4 million ACTH producing cells. The ACTH producing cells were widely distributed, while the PRL and GH producing cells were located in clusters in the central and lateral regions of the adenohypophysis. The morphology of the hormone producing cells also differs. We visualized a clear difference in the numerical density of hormone producing cells throughout the adenohypophysis. The relative proportions of the cells analyzed in our experiment are comparable to those observed in humans, primates, and rodents; however, the distribution of cells differs among species. The distribution of GH cells in the minipig is similar to that in humans, while the PRL and ACTH cell distributions differ. The volume of the pituitary is slightly smaller than that of humans. These data provide a framework for future large animal experimentation on pituitary function in health and disease.
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Acknowledgements
This research was conducted at the Center for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE), Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital. The authors sincerely thank the Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, for access to stereological facilities and acknowledge with gratitude the skillful assistance of Mrs. Trine W. Mikkelsen, Mrs. Lise M. Fitting, Mrs. Majken Sand, and Mrs. Anne Sofie Møller Andersen as well as the staff at Paaskehoejgaard. We would also express our gratitude to Lundbeck Foundation for funding this project.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design, which was managed by ANG and JCS. JCS, HZ, LT, and DO collected the pituitary samples. Material preparation, histological processing, and data collection were planned and performed by LT, MW, and DO. LT, MW, CRB performed data analysis. The first draft of the manuscript was written by LT and DO, which was commented on and edited by MW, ANG, and CB. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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Tvilling, L., West, M., Glud, A.N. et al. Anatomy and histology of the Göttingen minipig adenohypophysis with special emphasis on the polypeptide hormones: GH, PRL, and ACTH. Brain Struct Funct 226, 2375–2386 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-021-02337-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-021-02337-1