Summary
The ultrastructural changes associated with the compensatory hypertrophy of the zona fasciculata cells on monoadrenalectomized rats were investigated by stereological techniques. It was found that these subcellular changes display a different pattern from those underlying the ACTH-induced adrenocortical cell growth in the intact rats. This result supports the view that compensatory adrenal hypertrophy does not involve activation of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenal axis.
References
Dallman MF, Engeland WC, Holzwarth MA, Scholz PM (1980) Adrenocorticotropin inhibits compensatory adrenal growth after unilateral adrenalectomy. Endocrinology 107:1397–1404
Holzwarth MA, Wilkinson CW, Dallman MF (1980) Compensatory adrenal growth in immature and mature male rats. Neuroendocrinology 31:34–38
Kadioglu D, Harrison RG (1971) The functional relationships of mitochondria in the rat adrenal cortex. J Anat 110:293–296
Lipscomb HS, Critchlow BV (1967) A study of compensatory adrenal hypertrophy and hyperfunction. Proc R Soc Med 60:905
Loud AV (1962) A method for the quantitative estimation of cytoplasmic structures. J Cell Biol 15:481–487
Nussdorfer GG (1970) Effects of corticosteroid-hormones on the smooth endoplasmic reticulum of the rat adrenocortical cells. Z Zellforsch 106:143–144
Nussdorfer GG, Meneghelli V, Mazzocchi G (1978) Cytophysiology of the adrenal zona fasciculata. Int Rev Cytol 55:291–365
Pellegrino C, Ricci PD, Tongiani R (1963) A quantitative cytochemical and physiological study of the rat adrenal cortex in hypertrophy after unilateral adrenalectomy. Exp Cell Res 31:167–182
Ray PK (1980) Stabilization of the remaining adrenal gland following unilateral adrenalectomy. A light- and electron-microscopic study in the rat. Acta Anat 108:208–225
Robinson PM, Perry RA, Hardy KJ, Coghlan JP, Scoggins BA (1977) The innervation of the adrenal cortex in the sheep, Ovis ovis. J Anat 124:117–129
Seelig LL Jr, Rennels EG (1969) Light and electron microscopic studies on adrenal hypertrophy in the rat. Texas Rep Biol Med 27:821–838
Tamaoki BI (1973) Steroidogenesis and cell structure. Biochemical pursuit of sites of steroid biosynthesis. J Steroid Biochem 4:89–118
Unsicker K (1971) On the innervation of the rat and pig adrenal cortex. Z Zellforsch 116:151–156
Weibel ER (1969) Principles for morphometry in electron microscopic cytology. Int Rev Cytol 26:235–302
Yates FE, Marsh DJ, Maran JW (1974) The adrenal cortex. In: Mountcastle VB (ed) Medical physiology. Mosby, St. Louis, pp 1710–1725
Yonetsu T (1966) Electron microscopy of the adrenal cortex of normal and unilateral adrenalectomized Syrian hamsters. Endocrinol Jpn 13:269–290
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rebuffat, P., Robba, C., Belloni, A.S. et al. An electron-microscopic stereological study of the compensatory hypertrophy of the rat adrenal zona fasciculata after unilateral adrenalectomy. Cell Tissue Res. 225, 455–459 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214697
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214697