Abstract
The role of cholinergic neurotransmitters in the changes in ultrastructure of adrenocortical cells remains to a great extent unexplored. We studied the influence of acetylcholine (ACh) and pilocarpine, agonists of muscarinic ACh (mACh) receptors, on the ultrastructure of adrenocortical secretory cells derived from the rat adrenal cortex. Both agonists were found to stimulate fragmentation of the mitochondria and lipid droplets and reconstruction of the peroxisomal compartment. At the same time, assembling of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (sER) membranes was observed after ACh application, while pilocarpine action was not always prominent. Thus, we conclude that activation of mACh receptors by its agonists influence the ultrastructure of the adrenocortical cells, and the respective ACh-induced effects are more intensive.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
C. Delarue, V. Contesse, S. Lenglet, et al., “Role of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in the regulation of the adrenal cortex,” Rev. Endocrine Metab. Dis., 2, 253–267 (2001).
S. R. Bornstein and G. P. Chrousos, “Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) — and non-ACTH-mediated regulation of the adrenal cortex: neural immune inputs,” J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 84, 1729–1736 (1999).
S. W. Walker, E. R. Lightly, C. Clyne, et al., “Adrenergic and cholinergic regulation of cortisol secretion from the zona fasciculata/reticularis of bovine adrenal cortex,” Endocrine Res., 17, 237–265 (1991).
I. Kojima, K. Kojima, H. Shibata, and E. Ogata, “Mechanism of cholinergic stimulation of aldosterone secretion in bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells,” Endocrinology, 119, 284–291 (1986).
L. M. Koval, E. N. Yavorskaya, and E. A. Lukyanetz, “Ultrastructural features of medullary chromaffin cell cultures,” Neuroscience, 96, 639–649 (2000).
L. M. Koval, E. N. Yavorskaya, S. L. Tokar, and E. A. Lukyanetz, “Ultrastructural characteristics of steroid vesicles and mitochondria in bovine adrenocortical cells,” Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, 32, 272–274 (2000).
D. M. Stocco and B. J. Clark, “Regulation of the acute production of steroids in steroidogenic cells,” Endocrine Rev., 17, 221–244 (1996).
L. W. Miller, “Molecular biology of steroid hormone synthesis,” Endocrine Rev., 19, 295–318 (1988).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tokar, S.L., Koval, L.M., Yavorskaya, E.N. et al. Changes in the Ultrastructure of Adrenocortical Cells Induced by Cholinergic Agonists. Neurophysiology 34, 247–249 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020796510044
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020796510044