Histology lab 8: Mar. 22–23, 2005

Urinary and Endocrine Systems

collection
slide #
label
description
Urinary System
Epi/Mus 
3036
Transitional epi.
stratified = urinary epithelium, note binucleate dome cells
Epi/Mus
5230
Kidney entire: m.l.s.
Suggestion: Start your study of kidney with renal papilla  at apex of medullary (renal) pyramid and work your way downward and upward.
downward: The renal papilla lies in the hilum within a cup-shaped calyx covered by transitional epithelium and leading to ureter (transitional epithelium, lamina propria, submucosa, muscularis, adventitia).
upward: Cribriform area: openings of collecting (papillary) ducts into pelvicalyceal space. Follow them upward.
Note: rat kidney has only one medullary pyramid as opposed to the multiple lobes of compound (multi-lobed) kidneys (e.g., human kidney) and thus only one (major) calyx (i.e., no minor calyces), no interlobar vessels or renal columns (although cortical material folded around edges or hilum resembles cortical columns).
Medulla: collecting ducts (highly cellular with conspicuous intercellular borders); nephric loops (thin portions followed by thick [ascending tubules and descending tubules with brush border]), vasa recta (straight vessels) or arteriolae rectae spuriae (look for red blood cells and smooth muscle surrounding arterioles). Medullary interstitium equilibrated locally with circulating plasma.
Corticomedullary junction: arcurate vessels (arching), give rise to radial interlobular vessels.
Cortex: cortical (superficial, midcortical with ) and juxtamedullary nephrons (with long thin nephric loops); cortical labyrinth mainly of proximal tubules, plus distal tubules, corpuscle, and medullary rays.
Cortical lobule: medullary ray (continuation of collecting (papillary) ducts into cortex) and half cortical labyrinth on either sides containing interlobular (or radial) arteries and veins.
Renal tubule (= corpuscle + tubule [proper]): renal corpuscle = glomerular (or Bowman's) corpuscle (podocytes [visceral and parietal layer] + glomerulus (glomerular capillaries), mesangia, vascular pole, uriniferous pole, uriniferous space;  renal tubule: proximal convoluted tubule (cells with brush border) and straight (descending or pars recta) tubule, loop of nephron (Henle's [thin portion] of juxtamedullary nephrons), straight (ascending) tubule (cells have raised nuclei),  and distal convoluted tubule (and collecting tubule?).
Collecting (papillary) ducts
(cuboidal cells, distinct intercellular borders)
juxtaglomerular (JG) apparatus
(renin-secreting cells); extraglomerular mesangial cells (lacis cells); macula densa, afferent and efferent arterioles, peritubular capillary plexus.
renal interstitium (erythropoietin production), stellate vessels, renal capsule, mesothelium
Epi/Mus 
5250
bladder distended: c.s.
stratified = urinary epithelium, note transitional epithelium, binucleate dome cells
Epi/Mus 
8710
Monkey bladder: sec
stratified = urinary epithelium, note transitional epithelium, binucleate dome cells
Endocrine (and Paracrine) System
Uro/Endocrin
3785 or 5522, 5532, 5536,
Ovary: sec
Ovarian follicles are a rich source of estrogen, while corpora leutea produce both estrogen and progesterone. Interstitial cells secrete steroidal hormones, .
Uro/Endocrin 3940 or 5569, 7303, 7306 7342
Uterus fetus Mammal: l.s.
The placenta is a rich source of HCG, human  chorionic somatomammotropin, chorionic thyrotropin and corticotropin, estrogen and progesterone.
Uro/Endocrin 5541 or 5453, 5454, 5541
Spermatogenesis rat testis: sec
Interstitial endocrinocytes (Leydig cells) produce testosterone; sustentacular (Sertoli) cells produce androgen-binding protein (ABP)
Uro/Endocrin
4300 or 4349
Thyroid Parathyroid Mammal: sec
Thyroid: capsule and septa (trabeculae); follicles, colloid,  follicular and parafollicular (clear) cells (difficult to distinguish)
Parathyroid: chief or principal cells and oxyphil cells (difficult to distinguish)
Uro/Endocrin
4305
Adrenal gland
capsule; cortex: zonas glomerulosa, fasciculata (spongy cells), reticularis; medulla: neural crest origin; central veins
Uro/Endocrin
4333
Hypophysis: sag. sec
Adenohypophysis: anterior lobe (pars distalis sometimes called pars anterior): secondary capillary plexus (sinusoids) of hypophyseal portal system chromophobes (isolated cells or small groups); chromphils: acidophils (alpha cells [conspicuous acidophilic granules in cytoplasm) & basophils (beta cells [lg. vesicular nuclei]); pars tuberalis (surrounds stalk); pars intermedia (with colloid-filled cysts lined predominantly with basophils)—sometimes considered part of posterior lobe. Suggestion: use low power to identify areas where cells of one or another type predominate; then switch to higher power to study details.
Neurohypophysis: posterior lobe: pars nervosa and neural stalk (infundibulum): unmyelinated axons; pituicytes (glial cells), neurosecretory (Herring) bodies (homogeneous, larger than pituicytes' nuclei)
Paracrine
Circ/Hemato
 6628 or 6630   Thymus human: sec Epithelial reticular cells release growth factors: thymic hormone
Dig. Sys
4508, 4526, 4530, 4534
Stomach composite: sec duodenum, jejunum or ileum
enteroendocrinocytes (known as amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation [APUD] cells or diffuse neuroendocrine system [DNES] cells) not distinguished without special stains

Last Updated: Nov. 22, 2004
E-Mail Address: sshostak@pitt.edu