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  • 1
    Electronic Resource
    Electronic Resource
    The effects of ageing on the morphology and function of the zonae fasciculata and reticularis of the rat adrenal cortex (1992)
    Springer
    Cell & tissue research 270 (1992), S. 265-272 
    Details
    ISSN: 1432-0878
    Keywords: Adrenal cortex ; Ageing ; Steroidogenesis ; Electron microscopy ; Morphometry ; Rat (Wistar)
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Biology , Medicine
    Notes: Summary The morphological counterpart of the well-known age-dependent marked impairment of glucocorticoid secretion of rat adrenals was investigated by use of morphometric techniques. For this purpose 4-, 8-, 16- and 24-month-old rats were studied. Despite the notable lowering of both basal and ACTH-stimulated production of corticosterone by collagenase-dispersed inner adrenocortical cells, ACTH and corticosterone plasma concentrations displayed significant increases with ageing. Zona fasciculata (ZF) and zona reticularis (ZR) showed a notable hypertrophy in aged rats, which was due to rises in both the average volume and number of their parenchymal cells. The hypertrophy of ZF and ZR cells was in turn associated with increase in the volume of the mitochondrial compartment and proliferation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum, i.e., the two organelles involved in steroid-hormone synthesis. All these morphologic changes, conceivably due to the chronic exposure to high levels of circulating ACTH, are interpreted as a response enabling ZF and ZR to compensate for their age-dependent lowering in glucocorticoid secretion. Stereology also demonstrated that ZF and ZR cells underwent a striking age-related lipid-droplet repletion. Lipid droplets are the intracellular stores of cholesterol esters, the obligate precursors of steroid hormones in rats. This finding is in keeping with the contention that the mechanism underlying the age-dependent decline in rat-adrenal glucocorticoid secretion mainly involves impairments of the utilization of intracellular cholesterol previous to its intramitochondrial transformation to pregnenolone.
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
    URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00328012
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  • 2
    Electronic Resource
    Electronic Resource
    Distribution and functional significance of the endothelin receptor subtypes in the rat adrenal gland (1997)
    Springer
    Cell & tissue research 288 (1997), S. 345-352 
    Details
    ISSN: 1432-0878
    Keywords: Key words: Endothelins ; Endothelin receptors ; Adrenal gland ; Steroid secretion ; Catecholamine secretion ; Rat (Wistar)
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Biology , Medicine
    Notes: Abstract. Endothelins (ET) are a family of vasoactive peptides that act via two subtypes of receptors, named ETA and ETB. ET-1 binds to both ETA and ETB, whereas the isopeptide ET-3 preferentially binds to ETB. The localization of ETA and ETB receptors in the rat adrenal gland and their involvement in the adrenal secretagogue effect of ETs has been studied in vitro. Autoradiographic assessment of the selective displacement of [125I]ET-1, [125I]ET-3 and [125I]BQ-3020 (an ETB agonist) by BQ-123 or BQ-788 (specific antagonists of ETA and ETB, respectively) indicates that the zona glomerulosa and adrenal medulla possess both ETA and ETB, whereas the zona fasciculata/reticularis is exclusively provided with ETB. ET-1, ET-3 and BQ-3020 enhance aldosterone and corticosterone secretion by dispersed cells of the zona glomerulosa and zona fasciculata/reticularis, respectively. BQ-123 does not affect the secretagogue action of these three agonists, whereas BQ-788 completely annuls it. ET-1 induces a marked rise in catecholamine release by fragments of the adrenal medulla, and both BQ-123 and BQ-788 partially reverse this effect. ET-3 and BQ-3020 elicit a catecholamine release that is less intense than that produced by ET-1; this response is unaffected by BQ-123 and abolished by BQ-788. Thus, in the rat, the corticosteroid secretagogue effect of ETs seems to be exclusively mediated by the ETB receptor subtype, and the catecholamine secretagogue action by both ETA and ETB. The functional relevance of ETA receptors present in the zona glomerulosa remains to be investigated.
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
    URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s004410050820
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  • 3
    Electronic Resource
    Electronic Resource
    A karyometric and stereologic study of the effects of gonadotrophin and testosterone on the interstitial gland of the testis of intact and endoxan treated rats (1975)
    Springer
    Cell & tissue research 164 (1975), S. 411-424 
    Details
    ISSN: 1432-0878
    Keywords: Leydig cells (Rat) ; Endoxan ; Gonadotrophin ; Testosterone ; Morphometry
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Biology , Medicine
    Notes: Summary Adult male rats were treated daily for 18 days with endoxan in doses of 4 mg/kg of body weight or testosterone in doses 2.5 mg per rat. For the last 5 days of the experiment some of the rats received gonadotrophin injections in doses of 50 I.U. Karyometric and stereologic studies were undertaken on paraffin sections of the testes stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Endoxan treatment decrease the nuclear volume of the Leydig cells and lowers the volume fraction occupied by the interstitial gland in the testis. These changes were accompanied by a decrease in the intensity of reaction for acid phosphatase, non-specific esterases and 3-β-hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase. Testosterone injected alone or jointly with endoxan resulted in more pronounced changes than following treatment with endoxan alone. As expected, gonadotrophin injections into intact rats resulted in a marked increase in nuclear volume of the Leydig cells and in the volume fraction of the interstitial gland. This effect of gonadotrophin on the interstitial gland of the rat testis was partially inhibited by endoxan treatment. It follows from these experiments that endoxan impairs the functional activity of the interstitial gland of the rat testes by lowering the endogenous gonadotrophin levels, as well as by direct action on the Leydig cells.
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
    URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00223018
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  • 4
    Electronic Resource
    Electronic Resource
    Sex differences in adrenocortical structure and function (1986)
    Springer
    Cell & tissue research 244 (1986), S. 141-145 
    Details
    ISSN: 1432-0878
    Keywords: Adrenal cortex ; Sexual dimorphism ; Gonadectomy ; Stereology ; Rat
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Biology , Medicine
    Notes: Summary The cytological aspects of sexual dimorphism in the rat adrenal cortex and its relationship to the gonads have been investigated. The adrenal glands of mature female rats were heavier than those of males, and morphometry showed that this was almost exclusively due to conspicuous differences in the volume of cells of the zona fasciculata (ZF) and zona reticularis (ZR). Stereology demonstrated that the volume of the mitochondrial and lipid droplet compartments, as well as the surface area per cell of mitochondrial cristae and smooth endoplasmic reticulum tubules, were markedly higher in the ZF and ZR cells of female animals. Orchiectomy increased and ovariectomy decreased the adrenal weight, by eliciting hypertrophy and atrophy, respectively, of ZF and ZR cells; these effects of gonadectomy were reversed by the appropriate gonadal hormone replacement. It is suggested that the sexual dimorphism of the rat adrenal cortex may depend upon the inhibitory action of testosterone and the stimulatory effect of estradiol on the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenal axis.
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
    URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00218391
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  • 5
    Electronic Resource
    Electronic Resource
    Gestational changes in hamster adrenal cortex: Morphometric and ultrastructural stereologic studies (1989)
    Springer
    Cell & tissue research 256 (1989), S. 241-246 
    Details
    ISSN: 1432-0878
    Keywords: Adrenal cortex ; Pregnancy ; Electron microscopy ; Stereology ; Golden hamster
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Biology , Medicine
    Notes: Summary In the hamster, the weight of the adrenal glands increases during the course of gestation, with the highest value at day 5. In comparison to non-pregnant control animals, there were no changes in the volume of the zona glomerulosa (ZG) and zona fasciculata (ZF), while the volume of the zona reticularis (ZR) increased notably. The average volume of ZG-cells rose at day 5 of pregnancy and thereafter gradually decreased to that of control hamsters. A marked drop in the volume of ZF-cells was seen at days 5 and 10 of pregnancy, whereas at day 15 the cells were larger than in controls. At day 5 of pregnancy, a conspicuous increase in the cell volume was found in ZR, followed by lower values at day 10 and again higher than in control hamsters at day 15. The total number of parenchymal cells in hamster adrenal cortex increased at day 10 of gestation, then underwent a marked decrease, reaching the control value at the final day of pregnancy; this drop was mainly due to a reduction in the number of ZF-cells. The changes in the cell volume were paralleled by rather proportional changes in the volume of the mitochondrial compartment and in the quantity of smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The volume of the lipid-droplet compartment significantly rose in the course of gestation in both ZF- and ZR-cells. The cortisol output by adrenal homogenates gradually decreased during pregnancy.
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
    URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00218881
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  • 6
    Electronic Resource
    Electronic Resource
    Sex differences in adrenocortical structure and function (1974)
    Springer
    Cell & tissue research 151 (1974), S. 537-547 
    Details
    ISSN: 1432-0878
    Keywords: Adrenal cortex ; Rat ; Sex differences ; Gonadal hormone ; Stereologic studies
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Biology , Medicine
    Notes: Summary Adult female rats have heavier adrenals than males. Orchiectomy increases the adrenal weight, an effect reversed by testosterone. Neither ovariectomy nor estradiol replacement has an effect on absolute adrenal weight. The stereologic analysis of the volume fractions of particular adrenocortical zones have shown that the volume fraction of the zona glomerulosa in females is smaller as compared with males. On the contrary, the volume fractions of the fasciculata and reticularis zones are higher in female than in male rats. In both sexes gonadectomy and gonadal hormone replacement has an effect on the volume fractions of particular adrenocortical zones, these changes being more pronounced due to orchiectomy or testosterone replacement. The adrenal cortex of all experimental groups contains a similar quantity of parenchymal cells. The cytoplasm volume of a single adrenocortical cell is higher in all zones of the female adrenals as compared with the male. Orchiectomy increases the volume of the cytoplasm in fasciculata and reticularis cells. This effect was reversed by testosterone. Neither ovariectomy nor estradiol replacement has an effect on the volume of the cytoplasm in the fasciculata and reticularis cells. These studies have shown that sex differences with regards to rat adrenal size and weight depend upon the “physiologic atrophy” of the male adrenal cortex, while neither ovariectomy (8 weeks after operation) nor estradiol replacement has a conspicuous effect on the morphologic changes of this gland.
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
    URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00222998
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  • 7
    Electronic Resource
    Electronic Resource
    Stereological and functional investigations on isolated adrenocortical cells: Zona fasciculata/reticularis cells of chronically ACTH-treated rats (1989)
    Springer
    Cell & tissue research 258 (1989), S. 43-51 
    Details
    ISSN: 1432-0878
    Keywords: Isolated adrenocortical cells ; ACTH ; Steroidogenesis ; Stereology ; Rat (Wistar)
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Biology , Medicine
    Notes: Summary The morphology and function of isolated inner (zona fasciculata/reticularis) adrenocortical cells of rats pretreated with ACTH for 3, 6, 9 or 12 days were investigated. ACTH treatment induced a notable time-dependent enhancement in the steroidogenic capacity (corticosterone production) and growth of inner cells. The volumes of cells, mitochondrial compartment, membrane space [the cellular space occupied by smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) membranes] and lipid-droplet compartment, as well as the surface area of mitochondrial cristae and SER tubules, were increased in relation to the duration of ACTH pretreatment, and showed a highly significant positive linear correlation with both basal and stimulated corticosterone production. The acute exposure of isolated cells to ACTH provoked a striking lipid-droplet depletion, the extent of which was linearly and positively correlated with stimulated corticosterone secretion. The hypertrophy of the mitochondrial compartment and SER are interpreted as the morphological counterpart of the enhanced steroidogenic capacity of inner adrenocortical cells, inasmuch as the enzymes of steroid synthesis are located in these two organelles, and it is well known that chronic ACTH exposure stimulates the de novo synthesis of many of them in vivo. The rise in the number of lipid droplets, in which cholesterol is stored, is interpreted as being due to the fact that, under chronic ACTH treatment, the processes leading to cholesterol accumulation in adrenocortical cells (exogenous uptake and endogenous synthesis) exceed those of its utilization in basal steroid secretion. Cholesterol accumulated in lipid droplets as a reserve material may be rapidly utilized after acute ACTH exposure to meet the needs of the enhanced steroidogenic capacity of adrenocortical cells.
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
    URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00223143
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  • 8
    Electronic Resource
    Electronic Resource
    Sex differences in adrenocortical structure and function (1974)
    Springer
    Cell & tissue research 151 (1974), S. 525-536 
    Details
    ISSN: 1432-0878
    Keywords: Adrenal cortex ; Rat ; Sex differences ; Gonadal hormones ; Karyometry
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Biology , Medicine
    Notes: Summary Adrenal glands of adult female rats are heavier than the glands of corresponding male rats. Postpubertal orchiectomy increases the adrenal weight, an effect restored by testosterone replacement. Under the same conditions ovariectomy of 8 weeks duration does not change the adrenal weight while estradiol replacement enhances the relative adrenal weight. Karyometric studies have shown that nuclei in the female zona fasciculata cells are larger (app. 18%) than those of the male. Similar but only slight differences (2%) were observed in the zona reticularis. Orchiectomy results in enlargement of cell nuclei within all zones of the adrenal cortex; testosterone replacement has the opposite effect. Ovariectomy of 8 weeks duration slightly enhances the volume of nuclei of the zona glomerulosa cells, has no effect on the nuclei of the zona fasciculata and reduces the volume of nuclei in the zona reticularis. Estradiol replacement reduces the volume of nuclei of the zona glomerulosa cells but increases nuclear volume in the zona fasciculata and in the zona reticularis. Thus testosterone has an inhibitory effect on the adrenal cortex of the rat while the physiologic effect of estradiol on the morphology of this gland, particularly on the zona fasciculata cells is rather dubious. The author wishes to thank Mrs. B. Westerska and Miss K. Siejak for excellent technical assistance.
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
    URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00222997
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  • 9
    Electronic Resource
    Electronic Resource
    Sex differences in adrenocortical structure and function (1987)
    Springer
    Cell & tissue research 249 (1987), S. 443-449 
    Details
    ISSN: 1432-0878
    Keywords: Different strains ; Adrenal cortex ; Zonation ; Cellular composition ; Sex differences ; Rat
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Biology , Medicine
    Notes: Summary The zonation and cellular composition of the adrenal cortex of intact mature male and female rats of different strains (Chbb Thomm, CFY) and three strains of Wistar rats (W1, W2 and W3) at the age of 84–90 days were compared using morphometry. Both absolute and relative adrenal gland weights were higher in female than male rats. Rats of W3 and Chbb Thomm strains had the largest adrenals. These differences depended upon the higher volume of the zona fasciculata (ZF) and zona reticularis (ZR) in the W3 and Chbb Thomm strains than in the remaining animals. Females had larger adrenocortical zones than corresponding males. The average volume of the ZF cell ranged in males from 1589 μm3 (W1 strain) to 2111 μm3 (Chbb Thomm) and in females from 2249 μm3 (W1 strain) to 2894 μm3 (W3 strain). The average nuclear volume of the ZF cells was higher in female rats whereas there were no strain-and sex-differences in the size of zona glomerulosa (ZG) and ZR cells. The total number of parenchymal cells per pair of adrenals varied markedly among the studied strains, with the highest number in W3 and Chbb Thomm females. W3, Chbb Thomm and CFY females had larger number of parenchymal cells than males; the reverse was true for W1 strain whereas no differences were found among W2 male and female rats.
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
    URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00215529
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