Five different adenomas derived from the rat adenohypophysis: immunocytochemical and ultrastructural study

With the use of electron microscopic morphology and immunochemistry, 5 tumors were studied: a spontaneous prolactin-producing adenoma (LEP rats); an estrogen-induced intrasellar tumor (R-Amsterdam rats); and 3 transplanted tumors, MtT.W10 and MtT.W5 (WF rats) and MtT.F4 (F344 rats). All tumors were derived from rat adenohypophysis and are known to secrete prolactin, growth hormone, or adrenocorticotropic hormone. The spontaneous tumor consisted of a uniform population of cells containing only immunoreactive prolactin. In the estrogen-induced tumor, prolactin and growth hormone were localized in separate cell types with the use of the immunoperoxidase technique. In the MtT.W10 tumor, both immunoreactive prolactin and growth hormone were observed in the same cell and in separate cell types. In the MtT.F4 and MtT.W5 tumors, one cell type was identified that was characterized by lack of morphologic differentiation, reduced secretory granule number, and inconclusive immunopositivity.