Cell and Tissue Research

, Volume 249, Issue 1, pp 117–123 | Cite as

Histological changes in the pituitary-thyroid axis during spontaneous and artificially-induced metamorphosis of larvae of the flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

  • Satoshi Miwa
  • Yasuo Inui
Article
Accepted:

Summary

Histological changes in the pituitary TSH cells and in the thyroid gland of flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) larvae during spontaneous or artificially induced metamorphosis were studied. Activity of the immunoreactive TSH cells (IrTSH cells) gradually increased during premetamorphosis, reaching the highest level in prometamorphic larvae, and the cells were degranulated in metamorphic climax. The IrTSH cells were most inactive at the post-climax stage. The thyroid gland was morphologically the most active in metamorphic climax when the degranulation occurred in the pituitary IrTSH cells, and appeared inactive at post-climax. A few weeks after metamorphosis, both the IrTSH cells and the thyroid gland appeared to be activated again in the benthic, juvenile flounder. Administration of thyroxine or thiourea revealed negative feedback regulation of the pituitary-thyroid axis in flounder larvae. These results indicate that activation of the pituitary-thyroid axis induces metamorphosis in the flounder.

Key words

Pituitary Thyrotropes (TSH cells) Thyroid gland Metamorphosis Paralichthys olivaceus 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1987

Authors and Affiliations

  • Satoshi Miwa
    • 1
  • Yasuo Inui
    • 1
  1. 1.Inland Station, National Research Institute of AquacultureFisheries AgencyTamakiJapan

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