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Cell organization of the rat pars tuberalis. Evidence for open communication between pars tuberalis cells, cerebrospinal fluid and tanycytes

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Abstract

The pars tuberalis (PT) is the only pituitary region in close contact with the medial-basal hypothalamus and bathed by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Although PT has long been recognized as an endocrine gland, certain aspects of its structure remain obscure. The present investigation has been designed to gain information concerning (1) the cellular organization of PT, (2) the PT/median eminence spatial relationship and (3) the exposure of various cell compartments of PT to CSF. Non-endocrine cells (S100-reactive) appear as the organizer of the PT architecture. The apical poles of these cells line large cistern-like cavities and the processes of these cells establish a close spatial relationship with PT-specific secretory cells, portal capillaries and tanycytes. The cisterns are also endowed with clusters of ciliated cells and with a highly electron-dense and PAS-reactive content. The unique spatial organization of endocrine and non-endocrine cells of the PT supports a functional relationship between both cell populations. PT endocrine cells display a hallmark of PT-specific cells, namely, the paranuclear spot, which is a complex structure involving the Golgi apparatus, a large pool of immature secretory granules and a centriole from which originates a single 9+0 cilium projecting to the intercellular channels. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injected into the CSF readily reaches the intercellular channels of PT and the inner channel of the single cilium and is incorporated by the endocytic machinery of the secretory cells. The PT endocrine cells, through their single 9+0 cilium, may act as sensors of the CSF. HRP also reaches the lumen of the cisterns, indicating that this PT compartment is also exposed to CSF. PT endocrine cells establish direct cell-to-cell contacts with hypothalamic β1 tanycytes, suggesting a second means of brain-PT communication.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Genaro Alvial for technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Anatomía, Histología y Patología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

    Montserrat Guerra, Bruno Peruzzo, Sara Rodríguez & Esteban M. Rodríguez

  2. Departamento de Anatomía e Histología Humana, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

    Juan Luís Blázquez, Belén Peláez, Daniel Toranzo & Francisco Pastor

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  1. Montserrat Guerra
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  2. Juan Luís Blázquez
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  3. Bruno Peruzzo
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  4. Belén Peláez
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  5. Sara Rodríguez
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  6. Daniel Toranzo
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  7. Francisco Pastor
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  8. Esteban M. Rodríguez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Esteban M. Rodríguez.

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Dr. Francisco Pastor died after the present investigation had been completed. We wish to dedicate this publication to him.

This work was supported by grants from DID and MECESUP of Universidad Austral to M.G and a grant from Fondecyt no. 1070241, Chile, to E.M.R.

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Guerra, M., Blázquez, J.L., Peruzzo, B. et al. Cell organization of the rat pars tuberalis. Evidence for open communication between pars tuberalis cells, cerebrospinal fluid and tanycytes. Cell Tissue Res 339, 359–381 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-009-0885-8

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