Study of ACTH-immunoreactive cells after transplantation of neonatal adrenal glands into adult adrenalectomized rats.
The morphological and morphometrical features of the ACTH-immunoreactive cells of the anterior pituitary gland were compared between adult rats with intact adrenals, adult rats without adrenals, and adult rats with regenerated adrenocortical nodules. The removal of the adrenal glands produced a great increase in the number and size of the cytoplasmic processes of the ACTH-immunoreactive cells that sometimes establish contact with those of the neighbouring immunoreactive cells. In addition, in this experimental group, the ACTH-cell percentage and the mean cell, cytoplasmic, and nuclear areas were greatly increased in comparison with those found in control animals. Several regenerated adrenocortical nodules were observed in the small-bowel segment of rats transplanted with neonatal adrenal glands. The percentage and morphometrical values of the pituitary ACTH-reactive cells of this experimental group, although slightly increased relative to the rats with intact adrenals, were greatly decreased in relation to those of the adrenalectomized animals. It is concluded that the neonatal adrenal tissue regenerated after its transplantation into adult rats, a process that modified the percentage, the morphological characteristics, and the morphometrical values of the ACTH-immunoreactive cells of the adrenalectomized rats.
Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Basque Country University, Spain.
R
R
Sarria
J
J
Losada
F
F
Doñate Oliver
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000637:transplantation*; D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000032:analysis*; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone