Electron microscopy of two types of gonadotrophs in the anterior pituitary glands of persistent estrous and diestrous rats

Summary Persistent estrus and diestrus was produced in rats by the administration of estrone for either 5 days or 30 days, respectively, immediately after birth. Female rats without any treatment were used for control. After these rats grew up, the anterior pituitaries were examined by electron microscopy. The identification criteria for two types of gonadotrophs, FSH-and LH-cells, proposed by Barnes were adopted. In the persistent estrous rats, FSH-gonadotrophs were almost normal, but LH-gonadotrophs were filled with an abundance of secretory granules which were probably suppressed in discharge. On the other hand, in the persistent diestrous rats, FSH-cells were few in number and strongly atrophic, containing a few secretory granules, while LH-cells were almost normal or rather slightly activated. These electron microscopic findings well coincide with the results of light microscopy of ovaries, which suggested that in the persistent estrous rats FSH secretion might be almost normal but the secretion of LH might be inhibited, while in the persistent diestrous rats FSH secretion might be almost totally abolished but LH might be moderately secreted. From these findings, identification of FSH-and LH-gonadotrophs in the anterior pituitary of the rat well coincides with that proposed by Barnes in mice.