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THE INTERRELATIONSHIP OF THE ADRENAL CORTEX AND THE ANTERIOR LOBE OF THE HYPOPHYSIS^*,

From the Surgical Hunterian Laboratory School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University BALTIMORE

Abstract

The Adrenals in Hypophysectomized Animals and in Hypopituiturism. That a very intimate relationship exists between the adrenal cortex and the anterior lobe of the hypophysis has been suspected from both clinical and experimental observations. It has been very definitely established that a rapid and extensive atrophy of the adrenal cortex follows total hypophysectomy in the tadpole (1, 2), rat (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), rabbit (10, 11), and dog (12, 13, 14).

The histological changes in the adrenals of rats have been carefully studied by Smith (5). The medulla appears normal. The cortex, which is probably solely responsible for the diminution in the size of the gland, is altered in a pronounced way. The cells of all three zones show diminution in cytoplasm, but are not decreased in number. Fat deposits are limited to a central zone. In our hypophysectomized rats we have found the same changes. To determine the site of the initial alterations of the adrenal glands, eighteen totally hypophysectomized rats were examined at varying postoperative periods. Five days after hypophysectomy the gland showed minimal histological changes. There was some distortion of the reticular zone, and the cells in this layer and in the inner part of the fascicular zone were smaller than normal.

Footnotes

^* Aided by a grant from Mr. Stephen C. Clark.

Read before the Eighteenth Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of Internal Secretions, June 12, 1934, Cleveland, Ohio.

We have used a modification of Smith’s parapharyngeal operation. In all of our experiments proof of completeness of extirpation has been obtained by serial sections of the sella.

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