Occurrence of oxyphil cells in suppressed parathyroid glands.

Parathyroid glands from Mongolian gerbils cultured for 7 days at a high calcium concentration and examined by electron microscopy, were found to contain suppressed chief cells containing numerous mitochondria, and some oxyphil cells containing an abundance of medium-sized or large mitochondria with calcium-containing precipitates. It is suggested that parathyroid chief cells may be transformed into oxyphil cells, under certain conditions, and that the associated increase in the number and size of the mitochondria may be related to an intracellular accumulation of calcium.