title: Histometry of normal thyroid glands in neonatal and adult rats.
abstract: The present histometric study is on thyroid glands of Wistar rats ranging in age from 0 to 120 days. The mean volume of one lobe of the thyroid in 4-month-old animals was some 22-, 10-, 5-, and 3-fold greater, respectively, than the volumes in the newborn, 5-, 10-, and 30-day-old rats. At 4 months of age the mean length of the lobe was 3 times greater than at birth. The volumetric fractions (Vv) of the different histological components (follicular cells, C-cells, colloid, and interstitial tissue) changed considerably in the course of development. The Vv of follicular cells diminished from 61.4% at birth to 37.2% at 4 months. C-cells increased from 2.9% in the newborn to 4% at 15 days, with no further significant change at 4 months. Colloid and stroma together represented 35.7% at birth, increasing to 58.5% at 120 days. In the course of the first 4 months of life, the absolute volumes occupied by follicular cells, C-cells, colloid, and stroma increased 13.25, 30.75, 38.6, and 33.7 times, respectively; these changes reflect the variations that occur in the volume of the gland and the Vv throughout postnatal development.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Conde
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martin-Lacave
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Campora
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Galera-Davidson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000032:analysis*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D009024:Morphogenesis; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002116:Calcitonin