GENETIC VARIATION IN THE STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOUSE ADRENAL CORTEX

SUMMARY The volumes of the adrenal cortex and medulla were measured for young adult male mice from the A/Cam and CBA/FaCam strains and from five hybrid generations produced by crossing these inbred strains. The hybrid stocks were the reciprocal F1's, the F2 and the backcrosses to both parental strains. Two independent sets of measurements were made. The second set confirmed and extended the results of the first. Both the adrenal cortex and the adrenal medulla were significantly larger in the CBA mice than they were in the A mice. It seems likely that the observed difference between the strains in cortical volume was determined by genetic variation either at a single locus or, at most, at two loci. The difference in medullary volume was determined by variation at at least two gene loci. In all cases the alleles found in the CBA mice showed dominance. The problems of deciding whether four separate loci were involved or whether all the differences were due to pleiotropic effects of fewer genes is discussed. In the first experiment measurements of the volume and number of cells in the zona fasciculata were made in addition to those of medullary and cortical volume. These measurements confirmed the existence of genetic variation in these characters which had been suggested by earlier findings of significant strain differences in them. The results of the second experiment also showed that the significant strain difference between A and CBA mice in testis weight was brought about by genes other than those causing the adrenal differences. The relation between the differences in adrenal structure described in this paper and those known to exist between these two strains in other aspects of the adrenal glands and in their target organs are discussed, as is the relation between findings on inbred strains and those to be expected in natural populations.

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Ultrastructural Cytopiasmic Changes of Adrenal Cortex During Pregnancy

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100063408 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

pp. 298-299

Author(s):

T. M. Murad ◽

Karen Israel ◽

Jack C. Geer

Keyword(s):

Adrenal Gland ◽

Steroid Hormones ◽

Adrenal Cortex ◽

Lipid Droplets ◽

Plasma Cholesterol ◽

Adrenal Steroids ◽

Dynamic Changes ◽

Cortical Cells ◽

Acetyl Coenzyme A ◽

Adrenal Cortical Cells

Adrenal steroids are normally synthesized from acetyl coenzyme A via cholesterol. Cholesterol is also shown to enter the adrenal gland and to be localized in the lipid droplets of the adrenal cortical cells. Both pregnenolone and progesterone act as intermediates in the conversion of cholesterol into steroid hormones. During pregnancy an increased level of plasma cholesterol is known to be associated with an increase of the adrenal corticoid and progesterone. The present study is designed to demonstrate whether the adrenal cortical cells show any dynamic changes during pregnancy.

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Adrenocortical Ultrastructure in Ectopic Acth Syndrome

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100091172 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 34 ◽

pp. 238-239

Author(s):

K. Kovacs ◽

E. Horvath ◽

W. Singer

Keyword(s):

Adrenal Cortex ◽

Zona Glomerulosa ◽

Ectopic Acth Syndrome ◽

Pituitary Neoplasms ◽

Electron Microscopic ◽

Adrenocortical Cells ◽

Cell Hyperplasia ◽

Ectopic Acth ◽

Ectopic Acth Production ◽

Microscopic Findings

Secretion of ACTH by non-pituitary neoplasms is recognized with increasing frequency. While the clinical and biochemical changes associated with ectopic ACTH production have been extensively studied recently, relatively little attention was focused on the morphology of the adrenal cortex and, to our knowledge, the fine structure of the adrenocortical cells in cases of ectopic ACTH syndrome has not been described so far. We report here the electron microscopic findings in the adrenal cortex of a 50-year-old man with a pancreatic apudoma. The patient showed the characteristic clinical and biochemical features of ectopic ACTH syndrome and because of extensive hypercorticism, underwent bilateral adrenalectomy.By light microscopy, the adrenal cortices showed extensive compact cell hyperplasia and lipid depletion. The zona glomerulosa was present in small foci and, except for a few places, fasciculata cells were noted under the fibrous capsule.

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