Adrenalectomy of rats results in hypomyelination of the central nervous system.
The effect of adrenalectomy on CNS myelin accumulation was investigated to determine whether glucocorticoids play a role in regulating myelination. When 14-day-old rats were adrenalectomized and sacrificed 7-8 days later, the amount of bulk-isolated myelin in whole brain, as expressed per gram wet weight of brain or per milligram DNA-phosphate, was reduced to about 75% that of sham-operated controls. Both brain weight and DNA content were unchanged by adrenalectomy. Examination of individual brain regions also revealed decreased amounts of myelin in adrenalectomized animals. Brain glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase specific activity was reduced in adrenalectomized animals to 40-60% that of controls, and serum corticosterone levels were less than 0.6% of control levels. The amount of cerebral myelin in animals adrenalectomized on day 21 and sacrificed 9 days later was not significantly reduced. This suggests a possible role of glucocorticoids during the early period of rapid myelination.
D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006153:Guanosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000502:physiology*; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
D006153:Guanosine Diphosphate