Acid- and Aldehyde-Fuchsinophilic Granules in So-called Basophiles of the Anterior Pituitaries of Capons and Laying Hens

Abstract

FP cells-fuchsinophilic and PAS positive cells-in the pituitaries of capons, whose staining properties were the same as those of the frog reported by SATO (1957, 1959), and aldehyde-fuchsinophilic cells-AF cells-in the laying hens were examined.1. Many FP cells containing acid fuchsinophilic, PAS positive granules or drops, which stained strong AF positive after the oxidation, appeared in the cephalic and caudal lobes of the pituitaries of capons 3-5 months after castration. It seems that the increase of FP cells was caused by castration and corresponded to that of the eosinophilic cells observed by FICHERA (1904) and the others. The staining properties of acid fuchsinophilic granules were the same as FP cells of frogs reported by SATO (1957, 1959).2. FP cells were missing in the pituitaries of laying hens, but a large number of AF cells, which contained AF-philic fine granules on one side-the side adjacent to a blood vessel- of the cytoplasm of so-called basophiles, were observed throughout the cephalic and caudal lobes. It could not be decided whether these cells indicated a functional phase of gonadotrophs or were thyrotrophs.3. Most of the granules in PANETH's cells were stained by acid fuchsin and a small number of those by aniline blue. Almost all of the granules were stained by the latter dye after the oxidation. The granules were PAS positive and their staining properties were almost the same as FP cells in the pituitaries. It is interesting that PANETH's cell granules were reported by SELZMAN et al. (1961) to contain carbohydrate-protein.