Study of the pituitary body with the periodic acid-Schiff reaction.

Abstract

IN 1942, we established1 that cytoplasmic granules within the cyanophile cells of the human pituitary body possess metachromatic properties towards toluidin blue and give a positive Bauer reaction. We therefore concluded that these granules are of mucoprotein nature. We can relate this fact to the observations of Hartman and Benz2 and of Evans, Fraenkel-Conrat, Simpson and Li3 establishing that gonadotropic hormones and especially F.S.H. contain a proportion of polysaccharides and glucosamine and are, therefore, also allied to mucoproteins.