Summary
The pars nervosa of the neurohypophysis from 12 patients undergoing hypophysectomy for palliative treatment of advanced carcinoma was studied electron microscopically. Special attention was given to the cellular elements, the pituicytes.
Five different classes of pituicytes, with various transitional forms, were elucidated based on their ultrastructural characteristics: (1) The most common type, referred to as “major pituicytes”, is reminiscent of astrocytes. (2) “Dark pituicytes” are thought to represent different functional stages of the “major pituicytes”. (3) “Ependymal pituicytes” are believed to provide ultrastructural evidence that human pituicytes are phylogenetically derived from ependymal cells. (4) “Oncocytic pituicytes” were observed in all cases and are of unknown significance. (5) The ultrastructural features of “granular pituicytes” suggest the existence of an active uptake and catabolism of extracellular material by pituicytes, probably through “ultraphagocytosis” or “endocytosis”.
These five classes of pituicytes are considered to represent different functional forms of one cell line that originates phylogenetically from the ependyma.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barer, R., Lederis, K.: Ultrastructure of the rabbit neurohypophysis with special reference to the release of hormone. Z. Zellforsch. 75, 201–239 (1966)
Baron, M., Gallego, A.: The relation of the microglia with the pericytes in the cerebral cortex. Z. Zellforsch. 128, 42–57 (1972)
Bergland, R.M., Torack, R.M.: An electron microscopic study of the human infundibulum. Z. Zellforsch. 99, 1–12 (1959)
Boer, G.J., van Rheenen-Verberg, C.M.F.: Acid phosphatase in rat neurohypophyseal dispersions and its fractions enriched for neurosecretosomes and pituicytes after water deprivation and lactation. Brain Res. 114, 279–292 (1976)
Boudier, J.L., Boudier, J.A.: Jonctions entre pituicytes dans la neurohypophyse du rat. J. Microscopie 20, 27a (1974)
Boya, J.: An ultrastructural study of the relationship between pericytes and cerebral macrophages. Acta Anat. 95, 598–608 (1976)
Bucy, P.C.: The pars nervosa of the bovine hypophysis. J. Comp. Neurol. 50, 505–519 (1930)
Burston, J., John, R., Spencer, H.: “Myoblastoma” of the neurohypophysis. J. Pathol. Bacteriol. 83, 455–461 (1962)
Davis, E., Morris, J.F.: Lysosomes and Herring bodies in the neural lobe of salineand pitressin-treated rats. J. Anat. 114, 291–292 (1973)
Dellmann, H.-D.: Neurohistologische Untersuchungen über die Verknüpfung von Hypothalamus und Hypophyse unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Verhältnisse beim Kind. Ein Beitrag zum Problem der Neurosekretion und der hypothalamischen Beeinflussung der Adenohypophyse. Z. Hirnforsch. 5, 249–344 (1962)
Dellmann, H.-D., Owsley, P.A.: Investigations on the hypothalamoneurohypophyseal neurosecretory system of the grass frog (Rana pipiens) after transection of the proximal neurohypophysis. II. Light and electron microscopic findings in the disconnected distal neurohypophysis with special emphasis on the pituicytes. Z. Zellforsch. 94, 325–336 (1969)
Dellmann, H.-D., Stoeckel, M.E., Porter, A., Stutinsky, F.: Ultrastructure of the neurohypophysial glial cells following stalk transection in the rat. Experientia 30, 1220–1222 (1974)
De Robertis, E.D.P., Saez, F.A., de Robertis, E.M.F.: The cytoplasmic vascular system and microsomes. In: Cell histology, pp. 481–485, Philadelphia: Saunders 1975
Dreifuss, J.J., Sandri, C., Akert, K., Moor, H.: Ultrastructural evidence for sinusoid spaces and coupling between pituicytes in the rat. Cell Tissue Res. 161, 33–45 (1975)
Fisher, R.: Über den histochemischen Nachweis oxydativer Enzyme in Onkocyten verschiedener Organe. Virchow. Arch. Path. Anat. 334, 445–452 (1961)
Flament-Durand, J., Hubert, J.P., Dustin, P.: Centrioloand ciliogenesis in the rat's pituicytes under the influence of microtubule poisons in vitro. Exp. Cell Res. 99, 435–438 (1976)
Fujita, H., Hartmann, J.F.: Electron microscopy of neurohypophysis in normal, adrenaline-treated and pilocarpine-treated rabbits. Z. Zellforsch. 54, 734–736 (1961)
Hamperl, H.: Benign and malignant oncocytoma. Cancer 15, 1019–1027 (1962)
Hartmann, J.F.: Electron microscopy of the neurohypophysis in normal and histamine-treated rats. Z. Zellforsch. 48, 291–308 (1958)
Holmes, R.L., Ball, J.N.: The pituitary gland, a comparative account, pp. 63–94, London: Cambridge Univ. Press 1974
Hubert, J.P., Flament-Durand, J., Dustin, P.: Centrioles and cilia multiplication in the pituitary of the rat after furosemide and colchicine treatment. I. The posterior lobe. Cell Tissue Res. 149, 349–361 (1974)
Kitamura, T., Fujita, S.: Cells of the reticuloendothelial system in the brain and their relationship to circulating leucocytes, microglia and pericytes. Rec. Adv. RES Res. 13, 48–60 (1973)
Kitamura, T., Tsuchihashi, Y., Tatebe, A., Fujita, S.: Electron microscopic features of the resting microglia in the rabbit hypocampus, identified by silver carbonate staining. Acta Neuropathol. 38, 195–201 (1977)
Kodama, Y., Fujita, H.: Some findings on the fine structure of the neurohypophysis in dehydrated and pitressin treated mice. Arch. Histol. Jpn. 38, 121–131 (1975)
Kovacs, K., Horvath, E., Bilbao, J.M.: Oncocytes in the anterior lobe of human pituitary gland. Acta Neuropath. 27, 43–45 (1974)
Krsulovic, J., Bruckner, G.: Morphological characteristics of pituicytes in different functional stages. Z. Zellforsch. 99, 210–220 (1969)
Krsulovic, J., Ermisch, A., Sterba, G.: electron microscopic and autoradiographic study with special consideration of the pituicyte problem. In: Aspects of Neuroendocrinology, (W. Bargmann and B. Scharrer, eds.) pp. 166–172, Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer-Verlag 1970
Kurosumi, K., Matsuzawa, T., Shibasaki, S.: Electron microcope studies on the fine structures of the pars nervosa and pars intermedia, and their morphological interrelation in the normal rat hypophysis. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 1, 433–452 (1961)
Kurosumi, K., Matsuzawa, T., Kobayashi, Y.: On relation between the release of neurosecretory substance and lipid granules of pituicytes in the rat neurohypophysis. Gunma Symposia on Endocrinology 1, 87–118 (1964)
Lederis, K.: An electron microscopic study of the human neurohypophysis. Z. Zellforsch. 65, 847–868 (1965)
Milhaud, M., Pappas, G.D.: Cilia formation in the adult cat brain after pargyline treatment. J. Cell Biol. 37, 599–609 (1968)
Nakai, Y.: Electron microscopic observation on synapse-like contacts between pituicytes and different types of nerve fibers in the anuran pars nervosa. Z. Zellforsch. 110, 27–39 (1970)
Olivieri-Sangiacomo, C.: Ultrastructural features of pituicytes in the neural lobe of adult rats. Experientia 29, 1015–1018 (1973)
Palay, S.L.: An electron microscope study of the neurohypophysis in normal, hydrated, and dehydrated rats. Anat. Rec. 121, 348 (1955)
Popovitch, E.R., Sutton, C.H., Besker, N.H., Zimmerman, H.M.: Fine structure and histochemical studies of choristomas of the neurohypophysis. J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 29, 155–156 (1970)
Reinhardt, H.F., Henning, L.C.H., Rohn, H.P.: Morphmetrisch-ultrastruktuelle Untersuchungen am Hypophysenhinterlappen der Ratte nach Dehydration. Z. Zellforsch. 102, 182–192 (1969)
Rodríguez, E.M., Dellmann, H.-D.: Hormonal content and ultrastructure of the disconnected neural lobe of the grass frog (Rana pipiens). Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 15, 272–288 (1970)
Rodríguez, E.M.: The comparative morphology of neural lobes of species with different neurohypophysial hormones. In: Subcellular organization and function in endocrine tissue, (H. Heller and K. Lederis, eds.) Mem. Soc. Endocrinol. No. 19, pp. 263–292, London: Cambridge Univ. Press 1971
Rodríguez, E.M., La Pointe, J.: Histology and ultrastructure of the neural lobe of the lizard, Klauberina riversiana. Z. Zellforsch. 95, 37–57 (1969)
Schiefer, H.G., Hubner, G., Kleinsasser, O.: Riesenmitochondrien aus Onkocyten menschlicher Adenolymphome. Isolierung, morphologische und biochemische Untersuchungen. Virchow. Arch. (Zellpath.) 1, 230–239 (1968)
Seyama, S., Pearl, G.S., Takei, Y.: Ultrastructural study of the human neurohypophysis I. Neurosecretory axons and their dilations in the pars nervosa. Cell Tissue Res. 205, 253–271 (1980)
Sobel, H.J., Marquet, E., Avirin, E., Schwarz, R.: Granular cell myoblastoma. An electron microcopic and cytochemical study illustrating the genesis of granules and aging of myoblastoma cells. Am. J. Pathol. 65, 59–78 (1971)
Stensaas, L.J.: Pericytes and perivascular microglial cells in the basal forebrain of the neonatal rabbit. Cell Tissue Res. 158, 517–541 (1975)
Stensaas, L.J., Stensaas, S.S.: Astrocytic neuroglial cells, oligodendrocytes and microgliacytes in the spinal of the toad. II. Electron microscopy. Z. Zellforsch. 86, 184–213 (1968)
Sterba, G., Bruckner, G.: Zur Funktion der ependymalen Glia in der Neurohypophyse. Z. Zellforsch. 81, 457–473 (1967)
Sterba, G., Bruckner, G.: Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen über die Reaktion der Pituizyten nach Hypophysenstieldurchtrennung bei Rana esculenta. Z. Zellforsch. 93, 74–83 (1969)
Tandler, B., Hutter, R.V.P., Erlandson, E.A.: Ultrastructure of oncocytoma of parotid gland. Lab. Invest. 23, 567–580 (1970)
Tasso, F., Rua, S.: Ultrastructural observations on the hypothalamo-posthypophysial complex of the Brattleboro rat. Cell Tissue Res. 191, 267–286 (1978)
Theodosis, D.T.: Endocytosis in glial cells (pituicytes) of the rat neurohypophysis demonstrated by incorporation of horseradish peroxidase. Neuroscience 4, 417–525 (1979)
Tremblay, G.: The oncocytes. In: Methods and Achievements in Experimental Pathology (E. Bajusz and G. Jasmin, eds.) Vol. IV, pp. 121. Chicago: Year Book 1969
Ulrich, J., Landolt, A., Benini, A.: Granularzelltumor im 3. Ventrikel des Großhirns. Klinische Befunde, Lichtund Elektronenmikroskopie. Acta Neuropathol. 27, 215–223 (1974)
Weiser, G., Probst, A.: Elektronenoptische Untersuchung zur Histogenese des granulären Neuroms. Virchows Arch. Pathol. Anat. 358, 193–204 (1973)
Wendell-Smith, C.P., Blunt, M.J., Baldwin, F.: The ultrastructural characterization of macroglial cell types. J. Comp. Neurol. 127, 219–239 (1966)
Whitaker, S., Labella, F.S., Anwal, M.: Electron microscopic histochemistry of lysosomes in neurosecretory nerve endings and pituicytes of rat posterior pituitary. Z. Zellforsch. 111, 493–504 (1970)
Wingstrand, K.G.: Comparative anatomy and evolution of the hypophysis. In: The pituitary gland. (G.W. Harris and B.T. Donovan, eds.) Vol. I, pp. 58–126. Los Angeles: Univ. of California Press 1966
Zambrano, D., de Robertis, F.: The ultrastructural changes in the neurohypophysis after destruction of the paraventricular nuclei in normal and castrated rats. Z. Zellforsch. 88, 496–510 (1968)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Takei, Y., Seyama, S., Pearl, G.S. et al. Ultrastructural study of the human neurohypophysis. Cell Tissue Res. 205, 273–287 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00234685
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00234685