Summary
The functional status of thyrotrope (TSH) cells was evaluated by means of ultrastructural immunocytochemistry in the adult, early postnatal, and prenatal pars distalis of the pituitary gland in the dwarf (dw/dw) mutant mouse. In the normal (+/+;dw/+) pars distalis, thyrotropes were immunoreactive to anti-TSH serum at all stages studied, although the reaction at 17- and 18 days of gestation was much les intense than that at 26 days postnatally and in the adult. In the dwarf, cells exhibiting ultrastructural features resembling those of thyrotropes were observed, but their secretory granules were unreactive with anti-TSH. At early postnatal stages, thyrotrope-like cells were likewise unreactive in the dwarf, as were the poorly granulated cells present prenatally. Thus, the results indicate that although cells resembling thyrotropes are present in the dwarf, they are functionally abnormal not only in the adult, but also during development.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baker BL, Gross DS (1978) Cytology and distribution of secretory cell types in the mouse hypophysis as demonstrated with immunocytochemistry. Am J Anat 153:193–216
Barnes BG (1962) Electron microscope studies on the secretory cytology of the mouse anterior pituitary. Endocrinology 71:618–628
Barnes BG (1963) The fine structure of the mouse adenohypophysis in various physiological states. In: Benoit J, Da Lage C (eds) Cytologie de l'adenohypophyse. Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique, Paris, pp 91–109
Bartke A (1964) Histology of the anterior hypophysis, thyroid and gonads of two types of dwarf mice. Anat Rec 149:225–236
Bartke A (1965) The response of two types of dwarf mice to growth hormone, thyrotropin, and thyroxine. Gen Comp Endocrinol 5:418–426
Elftman H, Wegelius O (1959) Anterior pituitary cytology of the dwarf mouse. Anat Rec 135:43–47
Francis T (1944) Studies on hereditary dwarfism in mice. VI. Anatomy, histology and development of the pituitary at hereditary anterior pituitary dwarfism in mice. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand 21:928–944
Lewinski A, Bartke A, Kovasc K, Richardson L, Smith NKR (1984) Further evidence of innactivity of hypothalamo-pituitarythyroid axis in Snell dwarf mice. Anat Rec 210:617–627
Moriartry GC (1973) Adenohypophysis: ultrastructural cytochemistry. A review. Histochem Cytochem 21:855–894
Ortman R (1956) A study of some cytochemical reactions and of the hormone content of the adenohypophysis in normal and in genetic dwarf mice. J Morph 99:417–431
Roux M, Bartke A, Dumont F, Dubois MP (1982) Immunohistological study of the anterior pituitary gland — pars distalis and pars intermedia — in dwarf mice. Cell Tissue Res 223:415–420
Van Buul-Offers S, Hackeng WHL, Schopman W (1983) Thyroxine and triiodothyronine levels in Snell mice. Acta Endocrinol 102:396–409
Wegelius O (1959) The dwarf mouse — an animal with secondary myxedema. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 101:225–227
Wilson DB (1986) Immunocytochemical analysis of somatotrophs and mammotrophs in the pars distalis of postnatal dwarf (dw) mutant mice. Cell Tissue Res 243:561–565
Wilson DB, Christensen E (1981) Fine structure of somatotrophs and mammotrophs during development of the dwarf (dw) mutant mouse. J Anat 133:407–417
Wilson DB, Christensen E (1982) Prenatal cytodifferentiation in the pars distalis of the dwarf mutant mouse. Acta Anat 114:259–267
Yamashita K (1969) Electron microscopic observations on the postnatal development of the anterior pituitary of the mouse. Gunma Symp Endocrinol 6:177–195
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by research grant No. HD12308 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (USA)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wilson, D.B., Wyatt, D.P. Immunocytochemistry of TSH cells during development of the dwarf mutant mouse. Anat Embryol 174, 277–282 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00824343
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00824343