Abstract:

The experimental rats were fed with cold-natured medicines (Zhimu, Shigao) for three weeks to made a "cold " syndrome model. After that, they were treated with two kinds of heat-natured medicines (I-Fuzi, Ganjiang: Ⅱ-Dangshen, Huangqi) respectively. After 5 and 7 days , the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, and testis were taken.The specific anti-LH, anti-TSH adn anti-ACTH sera were used in the avidin-biotin-complex (ABC) immunohistochemical method to observe the changes of ACTH, LHand TSHcells. It was observed that the immunohistochemical reaction of the three kinds of pituitary hormone-secreting cells increased obviously in rats with "cold" syndrome and weakened after treated with heat-natured medicines. Among the three kinds of cells the change of ACTH cell was most remarkable.The changes of pituitary hormone-secreting cells treated with heat-natured medicines Iwere similar to those of heat-natured medicines Ⅱ. We also observed the morphologic changes of the three target organs. It was found that there was no obvious change in them and it might indicate that the amount of hormone was not enough to cause morphologic changes but only the functional ones.

Key words: cold syndrome, ACTH cell, TSH cell, LH cell, immunohistochemistry