Morphometric study on the fetal thyroid gland in the nude mouse (BALB/cAnNCrj-nu/nu).
Fetal thyroid glands of athymic nude mice (BALB/cAnNCrj-nu/nu) were examined morphometrically on day 18 of gestation. Compared to euthymic litter mate controls (BALB/ cAnNCrj-nu/+), both the cell height and diameter of thyroid follicles were significantly smaller; fewer well-developed follicles were found in the peripheral region of the thyroid; the body weight and total volume of the thyroid gland were also smaller in nude mice. These results suggest underdevelopment of the fetal thyroid gland of the athymic nude mouse.
Department of Laboratory Animal Science, College of Environmental Health, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan.
T
T
Inomata
H
H
Ninomiya
S
S
Kawakami
K
K
Sakaguchi
K
K
Sakita
S
S
Aoyama
M
M
Shirai
T
T
Masaoka
F
F
Akahori
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D048429:Cell Size; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude / Q000196:embryology*; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000196:embryology*