Sex differences in adrenocortical structure and function. XXVI. Further studies on the differences in the compensatory growth of the adrenal cortex of the male and female hamster after unilateral adrenalectomy.
The relative adrenal weight of the remaining right adrenal gland was significantly increased 5 days after unilateral adrenalectomy in hamsters of both sexes. This effect was associated with an enlargement of the zonae glomerulosa and fasciculata in males and of the zona fasciculata in females. Unilateral adrenalectomy raised the average volume of zona fasciculata cells in male hamsters and that of zona reticularis cells in females. The number of parenchymal cells in all adrenocortical zones remained unchanged by the removal of the contralateral gland; however, when calculating per mg of adrenal or per cell, the nucleotide uptake by adrenal quarters was notably lowered. A marked drop in plasma cortisol concentration was found in unilaterally adrenalectomized male but not in female hamsters. These findings indicate that the main component of the adrenal compensatory growth in hamsters is the hypertrophy and not the hyperplasia of parenchymal cells.
Kasprzak
A
A
Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan Academy of Medicine, Poland.
Nussdorfer
G G
GG
Malendowicz
L K
LK
D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D004261:DNA Replication; D005260:Female; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D006854:Hydrocortisone