The newt parathyroid gland in the end of May (control) and under suppressed circumstances induced by the intraperitoneal injection of parathormone was examined with electron microscopy. The average numbers of large homogeneously dense bodies (secretory granules), large heterogeneously dense bodies, large vacuolar bodies and lipofuscin-like bodies were counted per 100 μ2 of the cytoplasm from the electron micrographs of the parathyroid glands of the parathormone treated newts and control ones. The serum calcium levels of all the newts were determined. Serum calcium concentration was increased after 1 day of injection of parathormone 20 U. S. P. parathyroid units, arriving at the highest value after 2 days of injection of parathormone 40 units and regained the almost normal value after 4 days of injection of parathormone 80 units. The parenchymal cells were classified into basal cells and suprabasal cells. In the former parathormone administration caused no marked changes. In the latter after experiment, glycogen granules seemed to be increased in number, while mitochondria, endoplasmic reticula, the Golgi apparatus and small dense granules appeared decreased in number when compared with control newts. Secretory granules and lipofuscin-like bodies were gradually decreased in number during the experimental stages. On the contrary, large heterogeneously dense bodies subdivided into a lysosomal type and ves icular type, and large vacuolar bodies were increased in number as c ompared with control newts. After parathormone administration the lysosomal type heterogeneously dense bodies were more dominant than the vesicular type. It is c onceivable that under a hypofunctional condition of the suprabasal cell caused by the high serum calcium concentration after parathormone administration most of secretory granules are tra nsformed into the vacuolar bodies through the lysosomal type he terogeneously dense bodies or some of them through the vesicular type.
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