MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PITUICYTES IN DIFFERENT FUNCTIONAL STAGES - LIGHT- AND ELECTRONMICROSCOPY OF NEUROHYPOPHYSIS OF ALBINO RAT

Most of the pituicytes of normal rats show relatively few indications of metabolic activity. This situation remains unchanged after two days of dehydration. From the third to the eighth day of dehydration, a considerable hypertrophy of the majority of pituicytes takes place. During this period proliferative and degenerative processes occur. After eight days of dehydration the pituicytes show an increase of degenerative processes and indications of decreased activity. Only one type of pituicytes in three different morphofunctional stages is considered to represent the basic cellular component of the neural lobe. A relationship between these stages and the release of neurosecretory material from the nerve endings is discussed. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.