ANALYSIS OF DIAMETERS OF HUMAN PITUITARY HORMONE SECRETORY GRANULES

1977 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. B. Gray

ABSTRACT Measurements were made on electron micrographs of six human anterior pituitary glands of the maximal diameters of secretory granules in 130 cells, average 91 granules per cell. This was done in an attempt to classify the various hormone types solely by differences in the mean diameters of the secretory granules. The range of diameters in nanometers could be segregated into six subgroups of the following suggested functions: 135.5 ± 13.6 TSH, 181.6 ± 9.3 LH, 226.0 ± 19.4 FSH, 356.8 ± 30.5 ACTH/MSH, 452.9 ± 23.8 GH, 559.9 ± 38.0 prolactin.

1970 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 639-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
PATRICIA M. NICHOLSON

SUMMARY Polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis of aqueous extracts of individual human anterior pituitary glands failed to identify a protein with lactogenic activity which was characteristic of pregnancy and the post-partum period. Lactogenic activity, determined by a semi-quantitative rabbit mammary gland organ culture assay, was largely associated with the growth hormone fraction. The total prolactin activity of individual anterior pituitary glands was determined by a 'local' intradermal pigeon crop sac method. The glands from pregnant and parturient women did not contain a higher concentration of prolactin than those of men or non-pregnant non-lactating women. These results do not provide any evidence for the existence of a human pituitary prolactin distinct from growth hormone. Reasons for this are discussed.


1975 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. B. Gray ◽  
I. Doniach ◽  
P. N. Leigh

ABSTRACT Diameters of secretory granules in thyrotrophs and in gonadotrophs were measured in electron micrographs of operation specimens of 4 pituitary glands and of the secretory granules in operation specimens of 10 clinically non-functioning chromophobe adenomas. The mean diameter of the thyrotroph granules was 137 ± 26 nm, of the gonadotrophs 204 ± 38 nm, of 9 of the adenomas 141 ± 20 nm and of the remaining adenoma 248 ± 67 nm. The significance of the close correlation in granule size in most of the adenomas with that of thyrotrophin granules is discussed briefly.


Author(s):  
E. Horvath ◽  
K. Kovacs ◽  
G. Penz ◽  
C. Ezrin

Follicular structures, in the rat pituitary, composed of cells joined by junctional complexes and possessing few organelles and few, if any, secretory granules, were first described by Farquhar in 1957. Cells of the same description have since been observed in several species including man. The importance of these cells, however, remains obscure. While studying human pituitary glands, we have observed wide variations in the fine structure of follicular cells which may lead to a better understanding of their morphogenesis and significance.


1965 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Apostolakis

ABSTRACT A method for the extraction of prolactin from human pituitary glands is described. It is based on acetone drying, distilled water extraction, acetone and isoelectric precipitation. Two main products are obtained: Fraction R8 with a mean prolactin activity of 12.2 IU/mg and fraction U8 with a mean prolactin activity of 8.6 IU/mg. The former fraction does not contain any significant gonadotrophin activity and the latter contains on an average 50 HMG U/mg. In both cases contamination with ACTH and MSH is minimal. The growth hormone activity of both these fractions is low. It is postulated that in man too, prolactin and growth hormone are two distinct hormones. A total of 1250 human pituitary glands have been processed by this method. The mean prolactin content per pituitary gland has been found to be 73 IU.


1966 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Smith ◽  
Marilyn G. Farquhar

The nature and content of lytic bodies and the localization of acid phosphatase (AcPase) activity were investigated in mammotrophic hormone-producing cells (MT) from rat anterior pituitary glands. MT were examined from lactating rats in which secretion of MTH1 was high and from postlactating rats in which MTH secretion was suppressed by removing the suckling young. MT from lactating animals contained abundant stacks of rough-surfaced ER, a large Golgi complex with many forming secretory granules, and a few lytic bodies, primarily multivesicular bodies and dense bodies. MT from postlactating animals, sacrificed at selected intervals up to 96 hr after separation from their suckling young, showed (a) progressive involution of the protein synthetic apparatus with sequestration of ER and ribosomes in autophagic vacuoles, and (b) incorporation of secretory granules into multivesicular and dense bodies. The content of mature granules typically was incorporated into dense bodies whereas that of immature granules found its way preferentially into multivesicular bodies. The secretory granules and cytoplasmic constituents segregated within lytic bodies were progressively degraded over a period of 24 to 72 hr to yield a common residual body, the vacuolated dense body. In MT from lactating animals, AcPase reaction product was found in lytic bodies, and in several other sites not usually considered to be lysosomal in nature, i.e., inner Golgi cisterna and associated vesicles, and around most of the immature, and some of the mature secretory granules. In MT from postlactating animals, AcPase was concentrated in lytic bodies; reaction product and incorporated secretory granules were frequently recognizable within the same multivesicular or dense body which could therefore be identified as "autolysosomes" connected with the digestion of endogenous materials. Several possible explanations for the occurrence of AcPase in nonlysosomal sites are discussed. From the findings it is concluded that, in secretory cells, lysosomes function in the regulation of the secretory process by providing a mechanism which takes care of overproduction of secretory products.


1959 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank S. Labella ◽  
J. H. U. Brown

Fresh anterior pituitary glands from beef and pig were separated by differential centrifugation into subcellular fractions. Nuclei and debris were obtained at 700 g for 15 minutes, secretory granules at 7000 g for 20 minutes, mitochondria at 34,000 g for 15 minutes, and microsomes at 78,000 g for 3 hours. Electron micrographs were taken of the individual fractions. Each fraction was analyzed for nitrogen, pentosenucleic acid (PNA), and phospholipide. Beef and pig anterior lobes were quite similar in their intracellular composition as seen in the subcellular fractions. Succinic dehydrogenase was localized in mitochondria, while alkaline phosphatase was concentrated in the microsomes. A proteinase with pH optimum at 8.2 was exclusively localized. in microsomal and supernatant fractions. Acid phosphatase, acid ribonuclease, and acid proteinase were distributed among the subcellular fractions in another pattern, indicating the presence of a particle type distinct from mitochondria and microsomes. The distribution of cytoplasmic PNA paralleled that of alkaline phosphatase.


1969 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 564-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen Costoff ◽  
W. H. McShan

A method is described for the isolation of secretory granules from rat anterior pituitary glands. The method consists of differential and isopycnic gradient centrifugations, followed by filtration of the zones containing granules on Nuclepore filters to remove mitochondria. Highly purified granules were obtained as indicated by electron microscopy. Major parts of the thyrotropin (TSH) and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) were recovered in a single fraction of granules as were follicle-stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing (LH) hormones. The somatotropin (STH) and prolactin (LTH) were recovered in separate granule fractions. The major parts of the six different hormones were associated with their respective granule fractions as shown by bioassays specific for each of the hormones. The diameters of granules in sections of intact rat pituitary glands and in isolated pellets were measured, and the means and ranges were in close agreement. These results contribute to the identification of the cell types which produce the different pituitary hormones.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 649-658
Author(s):  
Ahmed MR Abdo ◽  
Mohamed E El-Beeh ◽  
Sameer H. Qari ◽  
Dina A El-badry ◽  
Hassan IH El-Sayyad

Increase consumption of high fat diet was found to alter blood sugar level similar to diabetes and contributed to the development of obesity and affected the reproductive function of both sexes. The study aimed to clarify the influence of diabetes and or hypercholesterolemia on the cytological picture of cells of the anterior lobe of pituitary gland of male albino rats. Eighteen male albino rats weighing approximately 120 gram body weight were divided into three main groups; control, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes (single i.p. 40 mg streptozotocin/kg B.wt plus 100mg. nicotinamide /kg body weight) and hypercholesterolemia (diet containing 3% cholesterol). Dietary feeding on cholesterol and diabetes were carried out for 12 weeks. At the end of treatment, animals were sacrificed, and pituitary glands were separated and their anterior lobe was processed for cytological investigations by transmission electron microscopy. The present study revealed that the rats subjected to experimental diabetes and/ or hypercholesterolemia exhibited a decrease of the secretory granules within the gonadotroph cells somatotroph and corticotrophin cells. There was a detected intracellular accumulation of fat globules in both the gonado- and sommatotroph cells. The authors reported that the altered cytological structures of the secretory function of the anterior pituitary gland led to marked impairment of the male hormonal level and causing infertility.


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