title: Ultrastructural variations of the rat fetal adrenal cortex after maternal bilateral adrenalectomy and exogen glucocorticoid administration.
abstract: Rat fetal adrenal cortex ultrastructure was studied in fetuses of 20 days of gestation coming from control (C) pregnant rats and from mothers undergoing two experimental conditions: maternal bilateral adrenalectomy on day 1 of gestation (ADX) and maternal bilateral adrenalectomy plus posterior dexamethasone administration the days 15, 16 and 17 of gestation (A+D). Our results show ultrastructural changes in the ADX rat fetal adrenal cortex, consisting of hyperactive steroidogenical features as response to the absence of maternal glucocorticoids, and the restoration of the control structural characteristics after dexamethasone administration to adrenalectomized animals.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Machin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sierra
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rua
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005865:Gestational Age; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D003345:Corticosterone