The effect of reserpine on the pars intermedia of the rat pituitary. An electron-microscopic, fluorescence-histochemical and immunohistochemical study.

Reserpine has a stimulatory effect on the pars intermedia of the rat pituitary, probably mediated by its action on regulatory catecholaminergic nerves. The effect of single intraperitoneal injections of 0.1-20 mg/kg b.w. of reserpine was studied in adult male rats. Reserpine at a dose of 2 mg/kg b.w. induced degranulation, orientation of the secretory granules along the cell membrane and loss of formaldehyde-chloral-induced fluorescence, accompanied by an activation of the granular endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus. With higher doses progressive degranulation and loss of fluorescence were observed. The effect was, however, heterogeneous, and with all doses cells displaying normal ultrastructure and normal fluorescence were regularly present. To study the release of granular products (containing a different components of the pro-opiomelanocortin chain) from individual cells, formaldehyde-chloral induced fluorescence and alpha-MSH- and beta-endorphin immunoreactivies were demonstrated in consecutive sections from pituitaries of rats given 8 mg/kg body weight of reserpine 24 h before sacrifice. The results indicate coordinated release of these granular products at the cellular level after reserpine treatment.