ISSN:
1432-0878
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
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.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00339829
