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Investigations on turnover of adrenocortical mitochondria

II. Effect of chronic treatment with ACTH on the 3H-thymidine incorporation into rat zona fasciculata mitochondria

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Summary

The effects of a chronic ACTH administration (up to 12 consecutive days) on the 3H-thymidine uptake by the mitochondrial compartment of rat adrenal zona fasciculata were investigated by high resolution autoradiography, and compared with the changes in volume and number per cell of these organelles induced by the hormonal treatment.

Up to the 9th day of treatment there is a significant increase in the tracer incorporation into adrenocortical mitochondria which is coupled with a significant increase in the volume of the organelles. After 12 days of hormone administration a significant decrease in the 3H-thymidine mitochondrial uptake is found, which is associated with a conspicuous increase in the number of mitochondria per cell and a net decrease in their average volume.

The data are discussed in the light of evidence indicating that mitochondria possess a genetic apparatus largely independent of nuclear control. It is hypothesized that ACTH controls the growth and proliferation of adrenocortical mitochondria and that the mechanism of this action of ACTH involves stimulation of the mitochondrial DNA synthesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Gastone G. Nussdorfer, Giuseppina Mazzocchi & Giuseppe Gottardo

Authors
  1. Gastone G. Nussdorfer
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  2. Giuseppina Mazzocchi
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  3. Giuseppe Gottardo
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Additional information

A preliminary report on part of this material was given at the IX Congress of the Società Italiana di Microscopia Elettronica, St. Vincent, October 1973.

Authors wish to thank Miss A. Coi for the excellent technical assistance. This work was partly supported by a contract with the CNR (69.0172/115.3439 and C.T. 73.00663.04).

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Nussdorfer, G.G., Mazzocchi, G. & Gottardo, G. Investigations on turnover of adrenocortical mitochondria. Cell Tissue Res. 151, 281–292 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00224539

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