An ultrastructural study of the natural secretory cycle of the parathyroid gland of the bat

Cyclical ultrastructural changes in chief cells of the bat parathyroid during hibernation are described. The morphology indicates that the cells increase in activity at the start of hibernation and decrease in activity at the end. During early hibernation, the main alterations are an increase in granular endoplasmic reticulum, an increase in the number of prosecretory granules associated with the Golgi apparatus, an increase in the number of mature secretory granules, and the appearance of numerous, large cytoplasmic lipid droplets. An unusual finding is that the lipid droplets are preferentially associated with mitochondria and glycogen deposits. At this time there is also an increase in the size of intercellular spaces and the concentration of secretory granules near the plasma membrane. By late hibernation, however, there is a marked reduction in the amount of granular endoplasmic reticulum, fewer mitochondria, inconspicuous Golgi apparatuses, and a reduction in the size of intercellular spaces. In addition, lipid droplets are absent. These observations are discussed in relation to the cyclic secretory changes which occur in bat parafollicular cells and in bone during hibernation.