Morphometric dimensions of Syrian golden hamster pancreas of both sexes.

The morphometric dimensions of the various structures of the pancreas of adult Syrian golden hamsters, of both sexes, were evaluated using stereological methods. The average body mass of the animals used was 133.8 +/- 2.45 g and 140.6 +/- 7.98 g for the males and females, respectively, and the pancreatic mass, 389.9 +/- 14.88 and 409.7 +/- 21.42 mg, respectively. The analysis of variance of the obtained data showed that: a) the acini, intercalated ducts and stroma did not present statistically significant differences in any of the dimensions evaluated, with the exception of the nucleus volume of the acinar cells which was 8.5% larger in the female (P < 0.05); b) the excretory ducts exhibited surface density, total external surface, surface-to-volume ratio, and absolute cell number, 18%, 33%, 14%, and 44%, respectively, larger in the females (P < 0.05); and c) the pancreatic islets of the females exhibited volume density, total volume and absolute cell number, 20%, 27% and 27%, respectively, larger than those of the males (P < 0.05).