The reorganized stalk of hypophysectomized rats, either “intact” or subjected to a 6-day salt load, has been studied by light and electron microscopy. PAF-positive neurosecretory material is seen mainly in the periphery of the reorganized stalk, usually in 2–5 μ nerve swellings of animals operated two months before. Nerve swellings make contact with a dense capillary network. Three types of nerve fibres and their swellings are distinguished according to the size of elementary granules. Peptidergic A1and A2types contain granules with a maximum diameter of 170 and 130 nm respectively; monoaminergic B type fibres have granules of 100 nm in diameter. A1type axonal swellings are the most numerous and can be tentatively divided into four subtypes according to their ultrastructure and relationships with capillaries and pituicytes. Swellings of types b and c, making direct contact with capillaries or pituicyte perikarya, usually contain few granules and numerous synaptic vesicles arranged frequently in clusters in the “active” zones. It is assumed that they are especially active in the release of peptide neurohormones. It is also hypothesized that in the hypophysectomized rats peptide neurohormones are released not only directly into the pericapillary space but also into the intercellular cleft, especially at sites of neuron-pituicyte junctions. Nerve swellings of type a, separated from the pericapillary space by thin pituicyte processes, usually contain numerous neurosecretory granules. It is suggested that vascular “end-feet” of pituicytes may somehow reduce neurohormone release. The depletion of PAF-positive material as well as the decreased granule content even after a salt load of only 1 per cent shows that the reorganized stalk is functional as a neurohaemal organ, but has a diminished hormone reserve. This, together with a primitive cytomyeloangioarchitecture speaks for morphological and functional imperfection of the reo
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