Summary
Rat adrenal slices were incubated in Krebs-Ringer-bicarbonate solution containing 500 μCi of deoxycorticosterone (DOC)-1,2-3H for 10 min, and then in medium without isotope for several time intervals. Tissues were homogenized and chromatographed, or glutaraldehyde-osmium fixed, dehydrated and Epon embedded according to an abbreviated schedule, and autoradiographed. DOC-3H conversion to Corticosterone increased in slices with time, Corticosterone making up ∼50% of total radioactivity at 10 min and ∼60% at 30 min incubation times. In electron microscope autoradiographs of the zona fasciculata, mitochondria showed the greatest percentage of the cell silver grains and their greatest concentration per area, at all incubation times. In control experiments, metopiron was added to the incubation media to block DOC-corticosterone conversion, and the tissues were autoradiographed similarly. Most radioactivity was shifted to lipid droplets suggesting DOC accumulation in them when 11β-hydroxylation in mitochondria is prevented.
We wish to thank Prof. A. K. Christensen (Department of Anatomy, Temple University) for his reading of the manuscript and helpful suggestions.
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This study was supported by Research project PMC-3 from the Instituto de Alta Cultura, Lisbon.
We are greateful to Prof. F. C. Guerra and Dr. Osvaldo Freire (Center of Biochemical Studies, Faculty of Pharmacy of Oporto) who kindly performed the biochemical analyses.
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Magalhães, M.C., Magalhães, M.M. & Coimbra, A. An electron microscope autoradiographic study of DOC conversion to corticosterone in the rat adrenal cortex. Cell Tissue Res. 151, 47–55 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222033
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222033