Developmental change in calcitonin secretory capacity of fetal rat thyroid C-cells.
Developmental changes in calcitonin (CT) secretory capacity of C-cells were studied by using primary cultures prepared from the thyroid glands of rat fetuses at 16th, 18th and 20th day of gestation and the thyroid glands of 28-day-old rats. Both CT content of C-cells and high Ca2(+)-stimulated CT secretion increased with the age of the rats. The ratio of secreted CT to the CT content of C-cells also increased according to the age. These results demonstrated the functional development of C-cells during the fetal period.
Nishiyama
I
I
Department of Pharmacology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Fujii
T
T
D000818:Animals; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
D002116:Calcitonin; D002118:Calcium