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The effects of triparanol on adrenocortical cells of the zona fasciculata of Syrian hamsters

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Summary

Adrenocortical cells of the zona fasciculata of adult Syrian hamsters given 250 mg/kg triparanol daily by stomach tube were compared with cortical cells of untreated control animals. Dark cytoplasmic bodies which stained with toluidine blue, Nile blue sulfate, Sudan black B and acid hematein were observed with the light microscope. The bodies disappeared following the pyridine extraction-acid hematein test and control animals as well as animals treated with triparanol failed to give a positive reaction for cholesterol. These findings offer evidence that the cytoplasmic bodies are phospholipids. With the electron microscope the cytoplasmic granules exhibited rounded edges and were occasionally surrounded by a membrane. They displayed a crystalline latticework with opaque lines approximately 40–60 Å separated by clear spaces 50–70 Å. These observations coupled with the biochemical findings of other investigators suggest that the crystals may represent either the accumulations of enzymes or the matrix for a steroid precursor such as desmosterol.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA

    Robert D. Yates

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  1. Robert D. Yates
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Additional information

Research supported by USPHS Grants AM 08222-02, NB 00090, and NB 05665.

Recipient of Career Research Development Award 1-K3-GM-28, 064-01. The author would like to express his appreciation to Drs. Walther Hild and Alexis Burton for aid with the photomicrographs, E. G. Rennels and Donald Duncan for evaluation of the manuscript, and Messrs. Joe Mascorro and Ricardo Morales for technical assistance.

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Yates, R.D. The effects of triparanol on adrenocortical cells of the zona fasciculata of Syrian hamsters. Zeitschrift für Zellforschung 71, 41–52 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00339829

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00339829

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