title: A morphometric study of the effects of melatonin on the rat adrenal zona glomerulosa.
abstract: The effects of a long-term administration of melatonin on the zona glomerulosa were investigated both in "normal" rats and in animals in which the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenal axis and the renin-angiotensin system had been pharmacologically interrupted. Melatonin caused a notable hypertrophy of zona glomerulosa cells and a significant rise in the plasma concentration of aldosterone in both groups of rats. These findings indicate that melatonin exerts in vivo a strong direct stimulatory action on the growth and steroidogenic capacity of the rat zona glomerulosa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Padua/Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rebuffat
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzocchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stachowiak
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Belloni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coi
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Nussdorfer
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002216:Captopril / Q000494:pharmacology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D000804:Angiotensin II; D000450:Aldosterone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D002216:Captopril; D008550:Melatonin