| Summary: | The cells of the corpuscles of Stannius appeared to be more active in eels acclimated to sea water than in eels acclimated to fresh water. In acclimated eels, however, total and ionic plasma calcium concentrations and stanniocalcin titers did not differ. This suggests that levels of stanniocalcin in freshwater-acclimated eels are sufficient to maintain normocalcemia in sea water. When freshwateracclimated eels were transferred directly to sea water, total and ionic calcium concentrations in the plasma increased significantly within 24 h but there was no apparent effect on the corpuscles of Stannius within the same time. This suggests that changes in secretory activity of the corpuscles of Stannius do not occur rapidly when they are presented with a hypercalcemic challenge. Conversely, when seawater-acclimated eels were transferred to fresh or distilled water there appeared to be a very rapid reduction in secretory activity in the corpuscles of Stannius, as indicated by the rapid accumulation of secretory granules. These data suggest that stanniocalcin turnover is more rapid in seawater-acclimated eels and that the secretory activity of the corpuscles of Stannius is rapidly reduced when a hypercalcic challenge is removed.
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