ULTRASTRUCTURAL OBSERVATION OF PITUICYTES IN NEUROHYPOPHYSIS OF ADULT RATS / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

Neurohypophyses of six adult rats were observed under electron microscope toinvestigate the morphological features of pituicytes and their possible functionalsignificance.The results of morphological observation showed that the pituicytesmay be divided into 4 types,the two of which,astral pituicytes and ependymalpituicytes,obviously resemble to the neurogliocytes of central nervous system intheir morphological features.The third,dark pituicytes,was rich in mitochondria.Little was known about secretory pituicytes other than their presumable secretoryfunction suggested by the secretory granules present in their cytoplasm.The interstitial cisternae were the sites where the neurosecretory activities carriedon.The dilations of nerve fiber around the interstitial cisternae were rich in vesi-cles.It was substantiated that the pituicytes can participate in supporting andnourishing the nerve fibers,removing cell debris and may also serve a function oftransferring excitation,because of the presence of gap junction between pituicytes andynapselike contact between pituicyte and the nerve fiber.