Ultrastructure of the parathyroid gland of the young golden hamster after short-term treatment with ethanol.

We studied the ultrastructure of the parathyroid gland of young golden hamsters after short-term treatment with ethanol (1.5 g/kg bw or 6.0 g/kg bw). We did not find any ultrastructural changes of the parathyroid gland after administration of 1.5 g/kg ethanol. In the hamsters, 3 hours after administration of 6.0 g/kg ethanol, the mean serum calcium concentration was significantly low as compared to that of the control animals. In the parathyroid gland 1 hour after administration of 6.0 g/kg ethanol, the Golgi complexes associated with a few prosecretory granules and the volume density occupied by the Golgi complexes decreased compared with that of the control animals. In the parathyroid glands 3 hours after administration of 6.0 g/kg ethanol, the Golgi complexes decreased as compared with those of the control animals, while the large vacuolar bodies increased. These findings suggest that the cellular activity of the parathyroid gland is suppressed after short-term treatment with ethanol. Intracellular lumen was found in the parathyroid chief cells 3 hours after administration of 6.0 g/kg ethanol, and the significance of this structure is discussed.