Changes of the secretory activity of ovarian chromaffin cells during the sex cycle of female white rats.
Chromaffin cells containing primary catecholamines i.e. dopamine and noradrenaline were detected in various regions of the rat ovary by chromaffin, chromaffin-argyric and fluorescence-ortophtaldialdehyde histochemical methods. Chromaffin cells are 15-30 microns in diameter and present themselves in the following two "populations": (1) small cells of about 15 microns in diameter showing only slight variations in the sex cycle, (2) large cells of about 30 microns in diameter with marked variations in their number of chromaffin granules and of vacuoles at respective phases of the sex cycle. The most intensive reactions of ovarian chromaffin cells to catecholamines (the greatest accumulation of chromaffin granules) and weak manifestations of their secretory activity consisting in scarce single vacuoles were observed at dioestrus. Vacuolization of the highest degree and only scarce chromaffin granules were noted at oestrus. Changes of the secretory activity of ovarian chromaffin cells in the sex cycle of the rat may indicate that the cells affect the ovulation process and the hormonal secretory activity of the ovary as an additional, local source of primary catecholamines.
D000818:Animals; D002837:Chromaffin Granules / Q000378:metabolism*; D002838:Chromaffin System / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000378:metabolism
D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine