State of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal neurosecretory system of rabbits after anaphylactic shock

Abstract

With the aid of morphometric and histochemical methods a study was made of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal neurosecretory system of rabbits in anaphylactic shock. The following occurred in rabbits which survived the shock: an enlargement of the perikarions and reduction in the size of the nuclei and nucleoli of the neurosecretory cells; the content of the neurosecretory substance was increased in the whole neurosecretory system. In rabbits which perished from shock the nuclei and the nucleoli of the neurosecretory cells diminished to a lesser extent, perikarion measurements remained unchanged and the content of the neurosecretory substance in the posterior lobe of the hypophysis fell. Thus, in the animals which survived the shock the processes of synthesis of the neurohormones by the neurosecretory cells were sharply activated, but the secretion of the neurohormones from the posterior lobe of the hypophysis was inhibited; in animals which perished from shock the activation of the hormone formation in the neurosecretory cells was less pronounced, but the processes of the secretion of the neurohormones from the posterior lobe were apparently intensified.