Effect of thyroparathyroidectomy (TPX) on the zona reticularis: a quantitative ultrastructural study

Atrophy of zona reticularis cells was observed two weeks after surgical thyroparathyroidectomy (TPX). Quantitative morphological techniques for electron microscopy showed significant decreases in the volume of cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria, smooth endoplasmic reticulum and lipid droplets in the zona reticularis of TPX rats. In addition, many mitochnodria contained lipid droplets, some of which occupied virtually the entire matrix of mitochondria. The volume per cell of mitochondria with these inclusions increased significantly after TPX. The lipid droplets may well arise from cytoplasmic droplets by increased transport or reduced metabolism of cholesterol, or by direct incorporation of droplets into the mitochondrial matrix. The serum corticosterone level of TPX rats sacrificed under quiescent conditions did not differ significantly from that of controls. Hypothyroidism induced a significant increase in the volume of peroxisomes per cell in TPX animals which may be related to changes in lipid metabolism or transport.