IRRADIATION AND ADRENAL STEROIDOGENESIS: INFLUENCE OF IRRADIATION OF ISOLATED ACTH-STIMULATED CALF ADRENALS ON THEIR CORTICAL OUTPUT

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

THE adrenal gland, particularly the cortex, has been implicated in many bodily responses to various physiological and pathological stimuli, including radiation. With respect to the latter agent, it is notable that the adrenal cortex, even when exposed to massive doses of radiation, does not manifest pronounced morphological changes as evidenced by standard histological staining techniques. This morphological standard of evaluation of the cortical response to radiation has given rise to the opinion that the adrenal cortex is a radioresistant tissue (Bloom, 1945). Histochemical studies, however, involving lipoid staining, have revealed some changes in the irradiated adrenal cortex suggestive of an altered adrenocortical function.

In view of the limitations of histological and histochemical techniques in revealing the actual dynamic state of adrenocortical activity in irradiated glands, the present investigation was undertaken as a direct biochemical approach to ascertain the effect of ionizing radiation on adrenocortical function by studying the corticosteroidogenic mechanism of irradiated adrenal glands.