THE SITE OF THYROTROPHIN AND GONADOTROPHIN PRODUCTION IN THE RAT PITUITARY STUDIED BY McMANUS-HOTCHKISS STAINING FOR GLYCOPROTEIN

ADAMS (1946) has summarized the evidence for the source of thyrotrophin in the pituitary. At that time the evidence available was divided between the two types of chromophil cells favouring the acidophils rather than the “basophiles,” while more recent results tend to support the view that the “basophil” cells are the source of thyrotrophic hormone secretion. The question, however, is not regarded as settled. In studies at this laboratory (Griesbach, 1941; Griesbach and Purves, 1945) we showed a correlation between increases in the number and size of “Basophil” cells and an increasing thyrotrophin secretion. These changes were induced by small degrees of thyroxine deficiency which produced no change in the acidophil cells. It was shown (Purves and Griesbach, 1946a) that the acidophil cell degranulation which follows total thyroidectomy is due to a failure of pituitary function in the complete absence of thyroxine.