The effect of bromocriptine on the intermediate lobe of the rat pituitary: an electron-microscopic, morphometric study.

The morphological effect of chronic synthetic and secretory inhibition of the intermediate lobe of the rat pituitary induced by bromocriptine treatment was studied using morphometric techniques in combination with electron microscopy. On the basis of granule diameters, a heterogeneous cell population was shown in the normal intermediate lobe. Bromocriptine treatment did not induce any change in the volume fraction, number or location of electron-dense secretory granules. Instead, there was a shift toward a more homogeneous cell population containing smaller granules, the mean granule volume being reduced by approximately 30%. The volume fraction of electron-lucent granules or vacuoles was markedly reduced, indicating a functional significance of these organelles. The volume of the Golgi apparatus was not significantly altered, but the number of condensing granules within the Golgi area was reduced. The volume of the intermediate lobe was decreased, apparently due to a decrease in the mean cell volume.