Summary
Fully differentiated rabbit pars intermedia has been maintained successfully for over six weeks as organ culture.
PI-glandular cells are the commonest type throughout the culture. They retain their differentiated condition for at least five weeks. Autoradiography indicates that cell division occurs in cultures for at least two weeks. Dense granules are seen in the intercellular, perivascular and vascular spaces and are taken to indicate secretory activity under the conditions of culture.
Some interstitial cells remain recognisable throughout the culture and ACT-type cells for more than two weeks. Other interstitial cells lose their usual appearance and become peripheral dark cells. Modification of cytoplasmic organelles, including distortion and darkening of mitochondria, increase in intracellular filaments and enlargement and liberation of the content of the PI-vesicles are reported.
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I am indebted to Drs. J.W.B. Bradfield and J.D. Williamson for critical reading of the manuscript. I wish to thank Professor C.L. Foster who generously provided all the research facilities and obtained a research grant, to Mr. L. Ethridge and Mr. H. Jagessar for technical assistance. Electron micrographs were taken in the Department of Anatomy, Middlesex Hospital Medical School. This research was financially supported by the Standing Award Committee, St. Mary's Hospital, London
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Chatterjee, P. Histological and ultrastructural studies of the rabbit pars intermedia in organ culture. Cell Tissue Res. 169, 485–500 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00218148
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00218148