Seasonal histological changes in the pituitary gland of Sparus aurata
Ramadan, A.A.; Ezzat, A.A.; Meguid, N.A.; Khadre, S.E.; Aziz, E.S.
Folia Morphologica 35(3): 274-282
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-5640 PMID: 3428786 Document Number: 304559
The study deals with the histology of the pituitary gland of Sparus aurata during the different developmental stages of the gland in the course of one year. Variations in the shape of the Sparus aurata pituitary appear to bear no relation to sex, age or degree of maturity. The gland is composed of an adenohypophysis and a neurohypophysis which is a continuation of the infundibular stalk of the hypothalamus. The glandular part of the pituitary is divided into a pro-, a meso- and a meta-adenohypophysis. The pro-adenohypophysis is poorly vascularized, while the meta-adenohypophysis and the neurohypophysis are richly vascular. A thin connective tissue layer or basement membrane separates the glandular cells of the meta-adeno-hypophysis from the neurohypophysis. The three adenohypophysial regions contain certain types of cells which, although they all come under the heading of acidophils, basophils or chromophobes, differ as regards their structure, arrangement and specific staining reactions an thus form a criterion for differentiation of the various regions. The neurohypophysis is characterized by the presence of colloidal material known as Herring bodies, which is always present in the branches of the neurohypophysis which penetrate the meta-adenohypophysis.