Summary
Injection of posterior pituitary powder induces an intense mitotic stimulation in the zona glomerulosa of the adrenal gland of young rats. This effect is much more pronounced in females than in males. It is maximal at two days treatment. Longer periods result in a hypertrophied zona glomerulosa and lower mitotic activity. A search for the hormone responsible for the stimulation shows that vasopressin, and to a lesser extent oxytocin, are mitogenic. ACTH, α-MSH, β-MSH and the pineal hormones have no effect. Renin (but not angiotensin) induces a significant stimulation. It is concluded that vasopressin exerts a potent influence on the glomerulosa. This is in contrast with the prevalent view that the glomerulosa is little affected by the hypophysis.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bonjour, J.P., Malvin, R.L.: Stimulation of ADH release by the renin-angiotensin system. Amer. J. Physiol. 218, 1555–1559 (1970)
Campbell, W.B., Brooks, S.N., Pettinger, W.A.: Angiotensin II-and Angiotensin III-induced aldosterone release in vivo in the rat. Science 184, 994–996 (1974)
Cater, D.B., Stack-Dunne, M.P.: The histological changes in the adrenal of the hypophysectomised rat after treatment with pituitary preparations. J. Path. Bact. 66, 119–133 (1953)
Cater, D.B., Stack-Dunne, M.P.: The rate of decay of mitotic activity in the adrenal cortex of the rat following hypophysectomy. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 127, 265–272 (1955)
Coleman, T.G., McCaa, R.E., McCaa, C.S.: Effect of angiotensin II on aldosterone secretion in the conscious rat. J. Endocr. 60, 421–427 (1974)
Donaldson, J.C.: Note on the weight of the adrenals in crosses between the albino and the wild Norway rat (Mus norvegicus). Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. (N.Y.) 21, 157–160 (1923)
Donaldson, J.C.: Adrenal gland in wild gray and albino rat: corticomedullary relations. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med. 25, 300–301 (1928)
Dufau, M.L., Kliman, B.: Pharmacological effects of angiotensin-II-amide on aldosterone and corticosterone secretion by the intact anesthetized rat. Endocrinology 82, 29–36 (1968)
Farrell, G., McIsaac, W.M.: Adrenoglomerulotropin. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 94, 543–544 (1961)
Gagnon, D.J., Cousineau, D., Boucher, P.: Release of vasopressin by angiotensin II and prostaglandin E2 from the rat neuro-hypophysis in vitro. Life Sci. 12, 487–497 (1973)
Gagnon, D.J., Sirois, P., Park, W.K.: Structural requirements for angiotensin analogues to accumulate cyclic AMP and release vasopressin from the incubated rat neurohypophysis. Clin. exp. Pharm. Physiol. 2, 315–322 (1975)
Hilton, J.G.: Adrenocorticotropic action of antidiuretic hormone. Circulation 21, 1038–1047 (1960)
Hunt, T.E., Hunt, E.A.: The proliferative activity of the adrenal cortex using a radioautographic technic with thymidine-H3. Anat. Rec. 149, 387–396 (1964)
Isler, H.: Effect of posterior pituitary powder on the mitotic activity of the zona glomerulosa of the adrenal glands in intact and hypophysectomized rats: a preliminary observation. Anat. Rec. 177, 321–324 (1973)
Johnston, C.I., Hutchinson, J.S., Morris, B.J., Dax, E.M.: Release and clearance of neurophysins and posterior pituitary hormones. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 248, 272–280 (1975)
Keil, L.C., Summy-Long, J., Severs, W.B.: Release of vasopressin by angiotensin II. Endocrinology 96, 1063–1065 (1975)
Kinson, G.A., Singer, B.: The pineal gland and the adrenal response to sodium deficiency in the rat. Neuroendocrinology 2, 283–293 (1967)
Kraicer, J., Dhariwal, A.P.S.: Liberation de l'ACTH, in vitro, à partir de cellules dispersées du lobe intermédiaire de rat. C. R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 278, 935–938 (1974)
Kraicer, J., Gosbee, J.L., Bencosme, S.A.: Pars intermedia and pars distalis: two sites of ACTH production in the rat hypophysis. Neuroendocrinology 11, 156–176 (1973)
Myhre, E.: Runt disease in rats. Acta path. microbiol. scand. Sect. A, Suppl. 248, 133–135 (1974)
Peach, M.J., Chiu, A.T.: Stimulation and inhibition of aldosterone biosynthesis in vitro by angiotensin II and analogs. Circulat. Res. 35, Suppl. I, 7–13 (1974)
Severs, W.B., Daniels-Severs, A.E.: Effects of angiotensin on the central nervous system. Pharmacol. Rev. 25, 415–449 (1973)
Stephan, Y., Dubois, M.P.: Localisation par immunofluorescence des hormones corticotropes et mélanotropes dans l'hypophyse du rongeur Ellobius lutescens (Th). Z. Zellforsch. 133, 353–365 (1972)
Winter, C.A., Emery, F.E.: Compensatory adrenal hypertrophy in the rat as influenced by sex, castration, time and thyroidectomy. Anat. Rec. 66, 401–409 (1936)
Yurgens, I.L., Kirillov, O.I.: Mitotic activity of rat adrenacortical cells during prolonged physical exertion. Bull. exp. Biol. 69, 195–197. (Translation from russian article appeared in Byull. Eksp. Biol. Med. 69, 100–102) (1970)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Payet, N., Isler, H. Adrenal glomerulosa mitotic stimulation by posterior pituitary hormones. Cell Tissue Res. 172, 93–101 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00226051
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00226051