Two types of basophils in the anterior pituitary of the rat and their respective cytophysiological significance.

INTRODUCTION THE kresazan method of Romeis (1940), a combination of resorcinfuchsin with azan, enabled him to differentiate between two types of basophils in the hypophysis of several species, including the rat. Later investigators, however, did not obtain encouraging results with kresazan on the rat’s hypophysis (Brolin, 1945; Goldberg and Chaikoff, 1950; Gomori, personal communication). A new elastic stain, aldehyde-fuchsin, in combination with a modified azan technique, permits the clear-cut distinction between two classes of basophils in the pituitary of the rat (Gomori, 1950). The present study was undertaken to establish further the distinct entity of these cell types, which will be referred to as beta and delta cells after the terminology of Romeis. Furthermore, attempts were made to elucidate their respective share in the production of the hormones generally attributed to the basophils of the anterior pituitary lobe: the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), thyrotrophin and the adrenocorticotrophic...