[Ultrastructural changes in the pinealocytes of the rat in the late period after hypophysectomy].

Changes in the ultrastructure of epiphyseal pinealocytes were examined 3 weeks after hypophysectomy in infantile male rats in order to study functional relations of pineal gland with the hypothalamo-hypophyseal system. In hypophysectomized animals the functional activity of pineal secretory cells was found to decrease. Besides, the symptoms of suppression of biosynthetic processes and energy metabolism, as well as lipid infiltration and degradation of intercellular contacts, were observed.