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Tissue culture of rat adult decapsulated adrenal glands

A methodological, ultrastructural and morphometric investigation

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Summary

A method of cultivation involving both repeated trypsinisations (at room temperature) and explantation of the tissue fragments on polythene discs has been shown to be apt to the growth in vitro of rat adult decapsulated adreno-cortical tissue. This is the first time that the successful cultivation of such a tissue is reported. The technique and its applications are discussed.

The effects of β1–24 corticotrophin (ACTH1–24) on the rat adult adrenal cultures have been examined by both electron microscopy and autoradiography. Zona fasciculata and reticularis cells grown in the absence of ACTH for long terms (15–16 days) survive and proliferate as dedifferentiated elements. If ACTH1–24 is added to the cultures, adrenocortical cells will, within 2 days, simultaneously increase their proliferation rate and differentiate. After 7 days of treatment, cortical cells exhibit not only fully differentiated but even hypertrophic morphologic features. Significant stimulations of adrenal DNA, RNA and gross protein synthesis have been found to take place at different times after the starting of the ACTH1–24 treatment. These data are discussed in relation to the findings previously reported in literature.

Rat adult adrenal gland tissue cultures are proposed as a non-previously available tool for investigations into the physiopathology of the adrenal cells to be carried out in a carefully controlled environment.

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  1. Department of Anatomy, Laboratories of Tissue Culture and Electron Microscopy, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Ubaldo Armato & Gastone G. Nussdorfer

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  1. Ubaldo Armato
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A Preliminary report on part of this material was given at the annual meeting of the Société Française de Microscopie Elécronique, Nantes, May 1972.

Authors wish to thank Drs. P. G. Andreis and A. S. Belloni for their skilful assistance in the autoradiographic experiments. Thanks are also due to Mr. G. Gottardo for his excellent technical help in electron microscopic work. This work was partly supported by a contract with the CNR-Italy (No 69.0172/115.3439).

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Armato, U., Nussdorfer, G.G. Tissue culture of rat adult decapsulated adrenal glands. Z. Zellforsch. 135, 245–273 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00315129

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