Effect of pinealectomy on mastocyte count in the thymus of rats]

There some evidences that endocrine glands have marked influences on mast cells count The study was conducted to determine whether or not difference in mast cell count occurs in thymus gland of pincalectomized rats and to examine also sex difference in mast cell count under these condition adult Wistar rats were used. Pinealectomy was performed under light ether anesthesia. All animals were sacrificed by decapitation at 4 weeks after treatment. Samples were stained in Alcian-blue-PAS and, using Weibls multipurpose test system, the volume density (Vv), numerical density (Nv) and average volume of mastocytes were calculated. Analysis of morphometry has confirmed statistically significant increase in numerical density of mastocytes of pinealectomized female rats. The average volume of mastocytes has been also increased in both sex of animals after pinealectomy. The data from present studies show that there is marked sexual difference in reaction of mast cells after pinealectomy.