Ultrastructure of the adrenal cortex in burns

Abstract

Submicroscopic changes in adrenocorticocytes and sinusoidal capillaries were studied in experiments on sexually mature male guinea pigs on the 1st–2nd, 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days after burns. During the first week the hormone-forming cells of the gland were dominated by hyperplasia, which took place against the background of functionally excited sinusoids. On the 14th day, besides hyperplasia and hypertrophy, destruction of organelles was considerably increased in parenchymatous and endothelial cells. Increasing disorganization and death of membranous components of the cells led to a subsequent sharp disturbance of vaso-parenchymatous relations and to the development of profound dystrophic changes and necrobiotic lesions of the adrenal cortex.