Histochemical Studies on the Adrenocortical Hypofunction of Rats with Long-Term Administration of Corticoids

Abstract

It has been said that the lipid content of the adrenal cortex is depleted after long standing cortisone treatment, and there is the change of lipid droplet in zona fasciculata which seemed to be changed by inhibition of ACTH production due to administration of corticoid. In our observations, marked changes were noticed on the lipid droplets of the z. fasciculata. In first 5 to 7 days, droplets became large in size, and in next 7 to 21 days, they became smaller in size and decreased their numbers, and then they disappeared. We agree to a depletion of lipid, but in our experiments we noticed that lipid droplets became larger in size before depletion. It has been said that the appearance of hydrolytic enzymes show to occur pari passu with the loss of lipids, and that the loss of lipid in various conditions associates with alterations of enzymatic distribution. In our observation, alkaline phosphatase activity localized in endothels on z. fasciculata of adrenal cortex, and this activity showed related changes with lipid droplets. If lipid droplets became large in the z. fasciculata, endothelial Alph activity disappeared, and if lipid droplets became small or disappeared, they showed more marked activity. From these findings, the authors believe that, there are some relationships between the disappearance of lipids and the endothelial Al-ph activity. It has been suggested that most important roles of G6PDH in the adrenals is to act as a generator of TPNH, which is important for hydroxylation of the steroid molecule. In our experiments, G6PDH activity in the fasciculata decreased following the administration with corticoid. TPN activity changed follwing the appearance of lipid. It has been said that adrenal of corticoid-treated rats show a decreased endogenous respiration, and that in electron microscopic studies there are the changes on the mitochondria in rat adrenocortical cells. On the whole of the enzymatic activity with respiration, we did not agree these opinions because our experiment about respiratory enzymes was not noticeable.Our thankes are due to professor K. Akazaki and Assist. prof. N. Sasano.