Compensatory adrenal growth: a neurally mediated reflex

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Abstract
The responses of young rats to left adrenalectomy or left adrenal manipulation were compared to surgical sham adrenalectomy in which adrenals were observed but not touched. A 12 h right adrenal wet weight, dry weight, DNA, RNA and protein content were increased (P < 0.05) after the 1st 2 operations. Left adrenal manipulation resulted in increased right adrenal weight at 12 h but no change in left adrenal weight. Sequential manipulation of the left adrenal at time 0 and the right adrenal at 12 h resulted in an enlarged right adrenal at 12 h (P < 0.01), and an enlarged left adrenal at 24 h (P < 0.05), showing that the manipulated gland was capable of response. Bilateral adrenal manipulation of the adrenal glands resulted in bilateral enlargement at 12 h (P < 0.01). Taken together with previous results, these findings strongly suggest that compensatory adrenal growth is a neurally mediated reflex.