Electron microscopic observations on postnatal development of the X zone in mouse adrenal cortex.

Abstract

The postnatal development and involution of the X zone in the mouse adrenal cortex of both sexes were examined using the light and electron microscopes. At 0–5 days of age, no special cell group could be distinguished for the developing X zone in the inner cortex. The inner cortical cells contained spherical or ellipsoidal mitochondria with vesiculotubular cristae, vesiculotubular smooth endoplasmic reticulum (sER) and electron-lucent lipid droplets. The first sign of the developing X zone was the appearance of small groups of cells in juxtamedullary region differing from the cells in other part of inner cortex at 8 days. The electron microscopy showed that such cells contained nuclei of somewhat irregular outline and some parallel stacks of flattened sER. At 10–11 days, a thin layer of small eosinophilic cells were clearly identified as the developing X zone light microscopically in both sexes. Electron microscopically, the X zone cells showed a much dense cytoplas, which contained abundant sER, many mitochondria and numerous ribosomes. The typical X zone cells were characterized by the formation of peculiar mitochondrial complexes and whorled pattern of the sER. Mitoses were often found in the X zone, where mitotic cells even contained the whorled sER and bizarre mitochondria characteristic of the typical X zone cells. In the male the X zone rapidly involuted and might disappear by 30 days of age, whereas in the female X zone persisted as a thicker layer with the earlist sign of fatty degeneration. The origin of the X zone cell and the process of formation of its characteristic organelles are discussed.