MORPHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF FEMALE SYRIAN-HAMSTER GALLBLADDER INDUCED BYONE-MONTH SEX STEROID TREATMENT

Light (LM), transmission (TEM), and scanning (SEM) electron microscopy were used to characterize morphological changes induced in the gallbl adder epithelium of female Syrian hamsters in response to one-month es tradiol alone (E) and estradiol with medroxyprogesterone (E + MP) trea tments. TEM data were correlated with the SEM observations. Compared w ith control (C), E- and E + MP-treated hamsters showed significant dec reases in body weight, while the liver and gallbladder, and uterus wei ghts increased. Moreover, E treatment induced some subcellular changes (microvilli, nucleus, mitochondria, RER, glycogen, abundant apical gr anules). The E + MP treatment appeared to exacerbate these similar cha nges and, in addition, induced apical excrescences and cell shedding. Both E and E + MP gallbladders showed luminal micelles, cellular debri s and crystalliths associated with mucus. Simultaneously, an increased acidification of the mucoid content of the apical granules was notice d.