title: Freeze-fracture replica studies of effects of ACTH treatment and hypophysectomy on the cell surface of the rat adrenal inner cortex.
abstract: The morphological change of the cell surface in the inner zone of the adrenal cortex was studied in intact, hypophysectomized, and ACTH-treated hypophysectomized rats, using freeze-fracture replicas. In both intact and hypophysectomized ACTH-treated animals, the P fracture face of the plasma membranes of the cortical cells facing capillaries shows groups of characteristic finger-shaped microvilli, which arise horizontally from the edges of a small cavity on the cell surface to form various configurations ranging from incompletely organized, flower bud-like to complicated, arboraceous ones. In the non-treated hypophysectomized animals, however, the microvilli in such groups decrease in number and shorten in length but increase in width, looking like a blade of a prickly-pear cactus or an irregular-shaped plate. On the other hand, presumptive exocytotic and endocytotic specializations of intra-membraneous and experimental animals.
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D007016:Hypophysectomy; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008871:Microvilli / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone