Effect of estradiol on ultrastructure of granular ducts in submandibular glands of female rats.

The effects of estradiol on the granular ducts in submandibular glands of female albino rats were studied. Twenty-five-milligram pellets of 17 beta-estradiol were implanted subcutaneously in the experimental animals, and their glands, as well as controls, were examined after 2, 4, 7, and 10 wk using light and electron microscopy. During the course of the experiment an increasing proportion of the granules in the granular ducts appeared more lightly stained in the experimental animals.