Summary
Three-dimensional images of blood vessels in thyroid glands from normal, low iodine diet-treated, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)-treated and propylthiouracil (PTU)-treated rats were investigated by use of the corrosion-cast method. The vascular casts made by the injection of methacrylate resin were observed with the scanning electron microscope. In normal animals, each follicle is surrounded by a clearly defined basket-like capillary network, which is generally independent of adjacent networks, though a few anastomoses or common capillaries are sometimes seen. In low iodine diet-treated or TSH-treated animals, the capillaries in the basket-like network become markedly dilated and fuse with one another. Though the vascular casts of PTU-treated animals are similar to those of low iodine diet-treated or TSH-treated ones in some aspects, most basket-like networks become distorted and irregular in shape, and the capillaries are heterogeneously dilated and show many buds, branches and anastomoses. We consider that these peculiar changes in the thyroid of the PTU-treated animals are due not only to the elevation of serum TSH but also to other unknown factors. It is clear that the distribution and morphology of the thyroid capillaries are extremely affected and changed by functional states of the gland.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Axelrad AA, Leblond CP (1955) Induction of thyroid tumors in rats by a low iodine diet. Cancer 8:339–367
Denef J-F, Haumont S, Beckers C (1980) Morphological changes in mice thyroid induced by iodine deficiency. Virchows Arch B Cell Pathol 32:191–199
Denef J-F, Haumont S, Cornette C, Beckers C (1981) Correlated functional and morphometric study of thyroid hyperplasia induced by iodine deficiency. Endocrinology 108:2352–2358
Ericson LE, Wollman SH (1980) Ultrastructural aspects of capillary fusion during the development of thyroid hyperplasia. J Ultrastr Res 72:300–315
Fujita H, Murakami T (1974) Scanning electron microscopy on the distribution of the minute blood vessel in the thyroid gland of the dog, rat and rhesus monkey. Arch Histol Jpn 36:181–188
Fukuda H, Yasuda N, Greer MA, Kutas M, Greer SE (1975) Changes in plasma thyroxine, triiodothyronine and TSH during adaptation to iodine deficiency in the rat. Endocrinology 97:307–314
Gorbman A (1947) Thyroidal and vascular changes in mice following chronic treatment with goitrogens and carcinogens. Cancer Res 7:746–758
Griessen M, Lemarchand-Béraud T (1973) Thyrotropin secretion and metabolism in rats during propylthiouracil treatment. Endocrinology 92:166–173
Ishimura K, Okamoto H, Fujita H (1976) Freeze-etching studies on ultrastructural changes of endothelial cells in the thyroid of normal, TSH-treated and thyradin-treated mice. Cell Tissue Res 175:313–317
Kikuta A, Ohtsuka A, Ohtani O, Murakami T (1984) Microvascularization of endocrine glands as studied by injection-replica SEM method. In: Motta PM (ed) Ultrastructure of endocrine cells and tissues. Martinius Nijhoff, Boston, pp 313–320
Klak AT, Bondra JM, Wislan TW, Heringhaus TR, Meserve LA (1983) Development of vascular alterations in mouse thyroid glands. Micron 14:91–92
Meserve LA, Klak AT (1984) Vascular casts of thyroids from euthyroid and thiouracil fed young rats: quantitative comparison. Micron and Microscopica Acta 15:115–116
Murakami T (1971) Application of the scanning electron microscope to the study of the fine distribution of the blood vessels. Arch Histol Jpn 32:445–454
Ohtani O, Murakami T (1978) Peribiliary portal system in the rat liver as studied by the injection replica scanning electron microscope method. Scan Electron Microsc II:241–244
Ohtani O, Kikuta A, Ohtsuka A, Taguchi T, Murakami T (1983) Microvasculature as studied by the microvascular corrosion casting/scanning electron microscope method. I. Endocrine and digestive system. Arch Histol Jpn 46:1–42
Raj S, Meserve L (1982) Thyroid vascular casts from mice with chemically altered thyroid status. Micron 13:455–456
Riesco G, Taurog A, Larsen PR, Krulich L (1977) Acute and chronic responses to iodine deficiency in rats. Endocrinology 100:303–313
Strum JM, Karnovsky MJ (1971) Aminotriazole goiter. Fine structure and localization of thyroid peroxidase activity. Lab Invest 24:1–12
Thomas OL (1945) The vascular bed in normal and thiourea activated thyroid glands of the rat. Anat Rec 93:23–45
Wollman SH, Herveg JP (1978) Thyroid capsule changes during the development of thyroid hyperplasia in the rat. Am J Pathol 93:639–654
Wollman SH, Herveg JP, Zeligs JD, Ericson LE (1978) Blood capillary enlargement during the development of thyroid hyperplasia in the rat. Endocrinology 103:2306–2314
Zeligs JD, Wollman SH (1976) Microhemorrhage in the hyperplastic thyroid gland of the rat. Am J Pathol 85:317–332
Zeligs JD, Wollman SH (1977) Ultrastructure of erythrophagocytosis and red blood cell fission by thyroid epithelial cells in vivo. J Ultrastr Res 59:57–69
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was supported in part by grant from the Research Fund of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture, Japan
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Imada, M., Kurosumi, M. & Fujita, H. Three-dimensional aspects of blood vessels in thyroids from normal, low iodine diet-treated, TSH-treated, and PTU-treated rats. Cell Tissue Res. 245, 291–296 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213934
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213934