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The adrenal cortex in female rats after estradiol or calcium treatment

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Central European Journal of Biology

Abstract

Administration of estradiol or calcium, or combined, represents the classical therapeutic approach in the treatment of some menopausal symptoms. We have studied the effects of estradiol dipropionate (EDP) and calcium glucoheptonate (Ca) on morphological and hormonal features of the adrenal gland in 14-month-old female Wistar rats. The animals were treated with EDP (0.625 mg/kg b.w.) or Ca (11.4 mg/kg b.w.) daily for two weeks, with control rats receiving vehicle alone by the same schedule. The cell volumes in the zona glomerulosa (ZG) and zona fasciculata (ZF) were 11.2% and 5.5% greater (P<0.05) and in the zona reticularis (ZR) 13.0% smaller (P<0.05) in the EDP group than in the control group. In the Ca group, cell volume in the ZG was increased by 5.6% (P<0.05), while cell volumes in the ZF and ZR were decreased by 26.0% and 14.7%, respectively (P<0.05), in comparison with control values. Serum aldosterone and corticosterone concentrations were higher in the EDP-treated (by 27.8% and 19.8%, respectively) and Ca-treated (by 80.0% and 24.1%, respectively) groups in comparison with the control group (P<0.05). These data suggest that EDP and Ca treatments have stimulatory effects on the ZG and ZF, but inhibitory effects on the ZR in middle-aged female rats.

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Abbreviations

ACTH:

adrenocorticotrophic hormone

AVP:

arginine vasopressin

CRH:

corticotrophin-releasing hormone

HPA:

hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal

PVN:

paraventricular nucleus

ZG:

zona glomerulosa

ZF:

zona fasciculata

ZR:

zona reticularis

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cytology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, University of Belgrade, 11060, Belgrade, Serbia

    Verica Lj. Milošević, Vladimir Z. Ajdžanović, Branko R. Filipović, Nataša M. Nestorović, Milica N. Manojlović-Stojanoski, Jasmina B. Pantelić & Milka I. Sekulić

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  1. Verica Lj. Milošević
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  2. Vladimir Z. Ajdžanović
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  3. Branko R. Filipović
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  4. Nataša M. Nestorović
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  5. Milica N. Manojlović-Stojanoski
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  6. Jasmina B. Pantelić
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  7. Milka I. Sekulić
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Correspondence to Verica Lj. Milošević.

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These authors have equally contributed to the work

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Milošević, V.L., Ajdžanović, V.Z., Filipović, B.R. et al. The adrenal cortex in female rats after estradiol or calcium treatment. cent.eur.j.biol. 6, 41–47 (2011). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11535-010-0095-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11535-010-0095-0

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