General, Comparative and Clinical Endocrinology of the Adrenal Cortex

I. Chester Jones, I. W. Henderson, I. Chester Jones, I. W. Henderson

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9780121715021
• eBook ISBN: 9781483259802
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Zoology
• Index: Biological Sciences

General, Comparative and Clinical Endocrinology of the Adrenal Cortex, Volume 2 focuses on the many facets of adrenocortical form and function. This book discusses the mammalian adrenal cortex in structural, pathological, clinical, biochemical and histophysiological standpoints, including the functional and structural characteristics of the adrenocortical homologue of two poikilothermic groups- Reptilia and Amphibia. The general perspective that the adrenocortical homologue secretes materials that have an ubiquity of metabolism and mode of action in the Vertebrata is also elaborated.General, Comparative and Clinical Endocrinology of the Adrenal Cortex, Volume 2 covers the steroidogenesis in the zones of the mammalian adrenal cortex; adrenal gland in Reptilia; adrenal cortex of Amphibia; and aldosterone secretion and its clinical disorders. This volume is a good source for zoologists, biologists, and specialists interested in the endocrinology of the adrenal cortex.

Contents of Volume I

1. Structure and Nomenclature of Steroids. D. E. KIME and J. K. NORYMBERSKI

2. The Biosynthesis of Corticosteroids Throughout the Vertebrates. T. SANDOR, A. G. FAZEKAS and B. H. ROBINSON

3. Sub-mammalian Vertebrate Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Interrelationships. C. BARKER JØRGENSEN

4. The Adrenal Cortex and the Alimentary Tract. R. J. LEVIN

5. The Adrenal Cortex of Birds. W. N. HOLMES and J. G. PHILLIPS

Contents of Volume III

1. Pisces

Part I. Structure. W. MOSLEY and I. CHESTER JONES

Part II. Physiology. I. W. HENDERSON and H. O. GARLAND

2. Adrenocortical Insufficiency (Addison’s Disease) and Overactivity (Cushing’s Syndrome). D. R. CULLEN, J. P. D. RECKLESS and E. H. McLAREN

3. The Regulation of the Pituitary-adrenal System in Mammals. I. VERMES and P. G. SMELIK

4. Adrenocortical Function in Relation to Mammalian Population Densities and Hierarchies. N. W. NOWELL

5. Pituitary-adrenal Hormones and their Roles in Adaptive Behaviour. B. BOHUS and D. de WIED

6. The Actions of Glucocorticoids. M. BEATO and D. DOENECKE

7. Adrenal-gonad Relationships. D. E. KIME, G. P. VINSON and P. W. MAJOR

8. Evolutionary Considerations. I CHESTER JONES, R. J. BALMENTand I. W. HENDERSON

1

The Structure of the Mammalian Adrenal Cortex

S. Idelman, Laboratoire de Physiologie animale, Domaine Universitaire, B.P. 53, Centre de Tri, 38041, Grenoble Cedex, France

Publisher Summary

This chapter discusses the problems of adrenocortical structure using histochemical and ultrastructural techniques. In embryological development, adrenocortical cells arise from mesoderm, particularly from the columnar epithelial cells that line the coelom. Chromaffin cells have a separate origin, coming from neighboring paraganglion cells of the neural crest complex and thence migrating to lie adjacent to cortical cells. This intermingling is characteristic of most submammalian vertebrates though Elasmobranchii display complete separation. In Mammalia, the adult adrenal gland shows coalescence of chromaffin tissue and in Eutheria and Metatheria it lies centrally and is termed the medulla and eccentrically in the Prototheria. It is only over the past 10 years that the role of organelles in the biosynthesis of steroid hormones has begun to be delineated with correlated changes in fine structure. Changes occur in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum—the surface of which increases in area when the rate of steroidogenesis rises— and the mitochondrial cristae, which are usually tubular or vesicular in steroid secreting cells. Lamelliform cristae differentiate into tubular then vesicular cristae in most species studied. This is related to adrenocortical stimulation, for example, by ACTH. Thus, in hypophysectomized animals, the predominant tubular type is changed to vesicular by the administration of ACTH.

1 Introduction

2 Methodology

A. The time schedule of experiments

B. Stress

C. Fixation

D. Embedding

E. Ultrathin frozen sections

3 General structure of the normal adult, Eutheria

A. Gross anatomy

B. The vascular pattern within the adrenal

C. The lymphatic system

D. Nerves

E. The connective tissue framework

F. Adrenal weights

G. Micro-anatomy

H. Ultrastructure

4 Metatheria

5 General features of cell organelles

A. The endoplasmic reticulum

B. Mitochondria

C. Liposomes

D. Microbodies (peroxysomes) and lysosomes

E. Glycogen

6 Cytochemistry and autoradiography at the ultrastructural level

A. Cytochemistry

B. Autoradiography

7 The embryonic mammalian adrenal cortex: morphology and cytochemistry

A. Man

B. Rat adrenal cortex

C. The problem of “light” and “dark” cells

D. Monkey

E. Guinea pig

F. Cat

G. Armadillo

8 The fetal or transient cortex and the X zone

9 Cytophysiology of the mammalian adrenal cortex

A. Effects of inhibition of normal adrenocortical secretion

B. Effects of an inhibitor (cycloheximide) of protein synthesis

C. Effects of high sodium intake on the z. glomerulosa

D. Effects of inhibitors of steroidogenesis

E. Effects of stimulation of the adrenal cortex

F. Effects of stress or disease

G. Regeneration of the rat adrenal cortex

H. Inhibition and regulatory mechanisms

10 Stimulation in experimental hypoadrenocorticism

A. ACTH stimulation of dexamethasone-treated rats

B. ACTH action in hypophysectomized rats

C. Actions of cyclic-3’,5’ nucleotides on hypophysectomized rats

11 Problems associated with the structure of the mammalian adrenal cortex

A. Escalation and zonal theories

12 Conclusion

Acknowledgements

References

1 Introduction

The adrenal gland of the mammal is made up of two components, adrenocortical and chromaffin tissue. In embryological develo...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Contributors
• Preface
• Contents of Volume I
• Contents of Volume III
• Chapter 1: The Structure of the Mammalian Adrenal Cortex
• Chapter 2: Steroidogenesis in the Zones of the Mammalian Adrenal Cortex
• Chapter 3: Catabolism of the Adrenocortical Hormones
• Chapter 4: The Adrenal Gland in Reptilia
• Part 2: PHYSIOLOGY
• Chapter 5: The Adrenal Cortex of Amphibia
• Chapter 6: The Actions of Aldosterone
• Chapter 7: Aldosterone Secretion and its Clinical Disorders
• Subject Index
• Author Index