[Morphological and morphometrical changes in nervous apparatus of the adrenal medulla after sudden death of patients with various cardiac pathology].
Adrenal glands were studied at early autopsy of 28 men aged 35-60 years after their sudden cardiac death. According to the presence and character of pathologic manifestations detected in myocardium, three groups of cases were distinguished: group 1 (control) included the people without myocardial pathology (traffic accident victims), group 2 consisted of the patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) in association with recent myocardial infarction, group 3 included the patients with IHD and hypertension. The study was performed using the methods of silver impregnation of nerve terminals and planimetric point-counting method. Analysis of density of distribution of nerve plexuses in adrenal medulla in the groups studied has shown a tendency towards its reduction in group 2 and a significant decrease in group 3. Reactive-degenerative changes in the nervous structures of adrenal medulla were detected in these two groups, while in group 3 these were accompanied by the compensatory-adaptive changes in glandular nervous apparatus. However, despite the pronounced changes found in the nervous structures of adrenal medulla, their function remained high enough, that could be explained by a transition from nervous control of adrenal activity to a humoral one.
Laboratory of Neuromorphology, Electron Microscopy Group, Russian Cardiologic Scientific Complex, Moscow.
R A
RA
Kargina-Terent'eva
V N
VN
Shvalev
D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005725:Ganglia, Autonomic / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology
D002395:Catecholamines