Summary
The corpuscles of Stannius (CS) of the cichlid Oreochromis mossambicus (formerly Sarotherodon mossambicus) were studied in relation to sexual maturation and plasma calcium levels. After sexual maturation, the CS are enlarged in female fish, because of an increase in size and number of the type-1 cells. During the ovarian cycle, the size of the CS increases in parallel with the growth of the ovaries. Concurrently, plasma total calcium increases markedly until spawning. This increase is mainly accounted for by calcium bound to proteins (vitellogenins), but the ultrafiltrable calcium fraction is also slightly higher than in males. Ovariectomy is followed by a reduction in the size of the CS, mainly a result of involution of the type-1 cells, and by a reduction in plasma calcium to levels typical for males. Gonadectomy in males does not affect size or ultrastructure of the CS, or plasma calcium levels. Since the type-1 cells of the CS are the presumptive source of a hypocalcemic hormone, we conclude that activation of the CS during the female reproductive cycle is a response to elevated calcium levels that accompany ovarian maturation. We suggest that the CS respond in particular to the elevated ultrafiltrable or ionic calcium levels.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aurbach GD (1976) Parathyroid gland. Handbook of physiology, Section 7. Greep RO, Astwood EB (section eds), Am Physiol Soc Press, Washington DC
Bailey JR, Fenwick JC (1975) Effect of angiotensin II and corpuscle of Stannius extract on total and ionic plasma calcium levels and blood pressure in intact eels (Anguilla rostrata LeSueur). Can J Zool 53:630–633
Balbontin F, Espinosa X, Pang PKT (1978) Gonadal maturation and serum calcium levels in two teleosts, the hake and the killifish. Comp Biochem Physiol 61A:617–621
Bohemen G van, Lambert JGD (1982) Estrogen synthesis in relation to estrone, estradiol and vitellogenin plasma levels during the reproductive cycle of the female rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri. Gen Comp Endocrinol 45:105–114
Chan DKO, Chester Jones I (1968) Regulation and distribution of plasma calcium and inorganic phosphate in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.). J Endocrinol 32:109–117
Dubewar DM, Suryawanshi SA (1978) Evidence of hypocalcemic factor from corpuscles of Stannius of the teleost Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch). Endokrinologie 71:210–213
Fenwick JC, Wendelaar Bonga SE (1982) Hormones and osmoregulation: Endocrine involvement in calcium regulation in teleosts. In: Addink ADF, Spronk N (eds), Exogenous and endogenous influences on metabolic and neural control. Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp 339–350
Fleming WR, Stanley JG, Meier AH (1964) Seasonal effects of external calcium, estradiol and ACTH on the serum calcium and sodium levels of Fundulus kansae. Gen Comp Endocrinol 4:61–67
Fontaine M (1964) Corpuscules de Stannius et régulation ionique (Ca, K, Na) du milieu intérieur de l'anguille (Anguilla anguilla L.) C R Acad Sci Paris D 259:875–878
Galli-Gallardo SM, Marusic ET, Pang PKT (1977) Studies on the Stannius corpuscles of the Chilean clingfish, Sicyases sanguineus. Gen Comp Endocrinol 32:316–320
Heyl HL (1970) Changes in the corpuscles of Stannius during the spawning journey of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Gen Comp Endocrinol 14:43–52
Hiroi, O (1970) Morphological changes in the corpuscles of Stannius of the Chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta, during the migration and maturation. Bull Fac Fish Hokkaido Univ 21:179–192
Johnson DW (1972) Variations in the interrenal and corpuscles of Stannius of Mugil cephalus from the Colorado river and its estuary. Gen Comp Endocrinol 9:17–25
Kenyon CJ, Chester Jones I, Dixon RNB (1980) Acute responses of the freshwater eel (Anguilla anguilla) to extracts of the corpuscles of Stannius opposing the effects of stanniosomatiectomy. Gen Comp Endocrinol 41:531–538
Krishnamurthy VG (1976) Cytophysiology of corpuscles of Stannius. Int Rev Cytol 46:177–249
Krishnamurthy VG, Bern HA (1969) Correlative histologic study of the corpuscles of Stannius and the juxtaglomerular cells of teleost fishes. Gen Comp Endocrinol 13:313–335
Lafeber F, Herrmann-Erlee MPM, Van der Meer MJ, Flik G, Verbost P, Wendelaar Bonga SE (1984) Effects of products released by trout corpuscles of Stannius on calcium mobilization and cAMP formation of mouse calvaria in vitro, and on plasma calcium levels in eels. Calcif Tiss Res 36, suppl. 2:516
Lopez E (1969) Etude histophysiologique des corpuscules de Stannius de Salmo salar L. au cours des diverses étapes de son cycle vital. Gen Comp Endocrinol 12:339–349
Lopez E, Tisserand-Jochem E-A, Exquem A, Milet C, Hillyard C, Lallier F, Vidai B, MacIntyre I (1984) Immunocytochemical detection in eel corpuscles of Stannius of a mammalian parathyroid-like hormone. Gen Comp Endocrinol 53:28–36
Meats M, Ingleton PM, Chester Jones I, Garland HC, Kenyon CJ (1978) Fine structure of the corpuscles of Stannius of the trout, Salmo gairdneri: structural changes in response to increased environmental salinity and calcium ions. Gen Comp Endocrinol 36:451–461
Milet C, Hillyard CJ, Martelly E, Girgis S, MacIntyre I, Lopez E (1980) Similitudes structurales entre l'hormone hypocalcémiante des corpuscules de Stannius (PCS) de l'anguille (Anguilla anguilla L.) et l'hormone parathyroīdienne mammalienne. C R Acad Sci (Paris) D 291:977–980
Mugiya Y (1982) Calcium metabolism in estrogenized fish. In: Oguro C, Pang PKT (eds), Comparative endocrinology of calcium regulation. Japan Scientific Societies Press, Tokyo, pp 109–114
Oguri M, Takada N (1967) Serum calcium and magnesium levels of goldfish, with special reference to the gonadal maturation. Bull Jpn Soc Scient Fish 33:161–166
Olivereau M, Olivereau J (1978) Prolactin, hypercalcemia and corpuscles of Stannius in seawater eels. Cell Tissue Res 186:81–96
Pang PKT (1973) Endocrine control of calcium metabolism in teleosts. Am Zool 13:775–792
Pang PKT, Pang RK (1974) Environmental calcium and hypocalcin activity in the Stannius corpuscles of the Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque). Gen Comp Endocrinol 23:239–241
Pang PKT, Pang RK, Sawyer WH (1973) Effects of environmental calcium and replacement therapy on the killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, after surgical removal of the corpuscles of Stannius. Endocrinology 93:705–710
Ralston ML, Jenrich RI (1979) DUD: a derivative-free algorithm for non-linear least squares. Technometric 21:7–14
So YP, Fenwick JC (1977) Relationship between net 45calcium influx across a perfused isolated gill and the development of post-stanniectomy hypercalcemia. J Exp Zool 200:259–264
Subhedar N, Rao PDP (1979) Seasonal changes in the corpuscles of Stannius and the gonads of the catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch). Z mikrosk-anat Forsch (Leipzig) 93:74–90
Swarup K, Srivastav SP (1982) Phosphocalcaemic response of Stannius corpuscles extract in catfish Clarias batrachus. J Adv Zool 3:62–66
Wendelaar Bonga SE, Greven JAA (1978) The relationship between prolactin cell activity, environmental calcium and plasma calcium in the teleost Gasterosteus aculeatus. Observations on stanniectomized fish. Gen Comp Endocrinol 36:90–101
Wendelaar Bonga SE, Greven JA, Veenhuis M (1977) Vascularization, innervation, and ultrastructure of the endocrine cell types of Stannius corpuscles in the teleost Gasterosteus aculeatus. J Morphol 153:225–244
Wendelaar Bonga SE, Van der Meij JCA, Pang PKT (1980) Evidence for two secretory cell types in the Stannius bodies of the teleost Fundulus heteroclitus and Carassius auratus. Cell Tissue Res 212:295–306
Woodhead PMJ (1968) Seasonal changes in the calcium content of the blood of arctic cod. J Mar Biol Ass U.K. 48:81–91
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Urasa, F.M., Bonga, S.E.W. Stannius corpuscles and plasma calcium levels during the reproductive cycle in the cichlid teleost fish, Oreochromis mossambicus . Cell Tissue Res. 241, 219–227 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214644
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214644