INDEPENDENCY OF THE ADRENOCORTICAL CELL FROM HYPOPHYSEAL CONTROL AS ELUCIDATED IN HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED BULLFROGS

Abstract

Male adult bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) were hypophysectomized during the hibernation period. Six days after hypophysectomy atrophy of cortical cells was indistinct the spherical summer cells of Stilling contained lots of acidophilic granules increased in number, in particular remarkably so in the deep areas of the gland, and the polygonal possible intermediate cells between the summer and the lipid cell multiplied simultaneously. Nine days after the removal, lipid cells were not yet profoundly found. On the contrary, summer cells decreased in number and lost their acidophilic granules. Irrespective of hypophysectomy, mitotic cells were often detected in the immature lipid cells. When bullfrogs were hypophysectomized during the breeding period and post-spawning season, the lipid and acidophilic summer cells underwent no affections 10 days after the operation. Thus, the intrinsic seasonal variation during the breeding pencd and post-spawning period was not modified by hypophysectomy. The neoformation of lipid cells following hypophysectomy during the hibernation period suggested that the adenocortical cells in bullfrogs might be less controlled by the hypophysis.