Ultrastructure of the ferret parotid gland.

Parotid glands of two male and two female adult ferrets were examined using electron microscopy. The acinar cells contained an abundance of rough endoplasmic reticulum, an extensive Golgi complex, and electron-dense granules with a denser spot in each. The acinar lumen and the intercellular canaliculi were lined by a large number of prominent microvilli. The intercalated ducts were long and in their proximal part the cells contained small electron-dense granules, whereas the distal portions were lined by agranular cells. The majority of cells in the intralobular striated ducts contained a large number of granules. These granules were of varying shapes and were moderately electron-dense. Each granule had a close fitting membranous envelope. The agranular cells had a prominent Golgi zone, free ribosomes and a few lysosomes. Both the granular and agranular duct cells had an abundance of mitochondria towards the basal regions of the cells. The excretory ducts resembled the intralobular striated ducts. No sexual dimorphism was observed in the ferret parotid.