Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies on the zona-reticularis cells of the adrenal cortex of normal and 3-methylcholanthrene-treated mice.
The drug-metabolism activity of adrenocortical cells of normal and 3-methylcholanthrene (MC)-treated ddY mice were examined ultrastructurally and immunohistochemically. Immunoblot analyses performed prior to immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of a protein - possible equivalent to cytochrome P-450 found in the liver microsomes of MC-treated male rats - in the adrenal homogenate of MC-treated female mice. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated the presence of a cytochrome-P-450-like protein in the adrenal-cortical cells (especially in the zona-reticularis cells) of MC-treated female mice; at the same time, a remarkable increase in the amount of SER in these cells was observed by electron microscopy. These findings suggest that cells of the mouse adrenal gland, particularly those of the zona-reticularis, might participate not only in steroid biosynthesis but also in some sort of drug metabolism (detoxication). In addition, there might be a sex-related difference in ddY mice.
D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007118:Immunoassay; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008297:Male; D008748:Methylcholanthrene / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008854:Microscopy, Electron
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008748:Methylcholanthrene; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System