The Origin of Thyroidectomy Cells as Revealed by High Resolution Radioautography

Abstract

The distribution of cell types has been studied in the hypophysis of normal male rats and in those treated with propylthiouracil (PTU). Radioautographic studies after incorporation of tritiated thymidine showed that in the normal gland the majority of labelled cells belonged to the STH group. In the PTU treated animals, the majority of labelled cells belonged to the TSH-producing group. Administration of tritiated thymidine before PTU treatment, labelling many STH cells, led to no labelled thyroidectomy cells after PTU treatment, indicating that there is no transformation of STH cells into thyroidectomy cells, and that the thyroidectomy cells derived from division of TSH cells. (Endocrinology90: 728, 1972)