Does Iodide Produce a Significant Regranulation of Pituitary Acidophils in Thyroidectomized Rats?

Abstract

Male rats were thyroidectomized at 26 days of age by a combination of surgery and I¹³¹. Seventy days later, when growth stasis was complete, they were injected with 5 mg of iodide (as KI) daily for 28 days. At weekly intervals after the onset of injections, 5 rats were killed for study of their pituitary acidophils. A limited regranulation of acidophils was observed at the end of the 1st week of treatment. Thereafter, the response increased to maximal at 14 days, and then began to decline, being definitely reduced after 4 weeks. Weight gains and skeletal growth closely paralleled the changes in the acidophil population of the pituitary.