EFFECTS OF THYROID HORMONE ON THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF DISTAL NEPHRON IN RAT——A MORPHOMETRIC STUDY / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

An ultrastructural analysis of distal nephron has been investigated using morphometric method for rats with hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. The cells analysed were distal convoluted tubule cells (DCT cells), distal straight tubule cells (DST cells), intercalated cells (I cells) and principal cells (P cells) of collecting duct. The cells were sampled from superficial cortex. The results revealed that in DCT, DST and P cells the profile area of cells, the surface density of plasma membrane (Sv), the boundary length of cell surface [B(A)], the volume density (Vv) of mitochondria, and the length of microvilli were significantly decreased in the rat with hypothyroidism. However, in the rat with hyperthyroidism there were an obvious increase of profile area of cell and Vv of mitochondria in I cells. The results suggest that thyroid hormone is an important factor for maintaining the normal cellular structure in the distal nephron. The morphometry shows that the changes of DCT, DST and P cells are distinct in the rat with hypothyroidism, and the ultrastructural changes of I cell are obvious in the rat with hyperthyroidism.