QUANTITATIVE HISTOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION OF CERTAIN PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS IN THE RAT ADRENAL IN VARIOUS FUNCTIONAL STATES1,2

Abstract
The quantitative histological distribution of inorganic and labile-ester phosphorus compounds in the adrenal gland of the male albino rat was studied. Subcutaneous injection of 25 mg. ACTH per kg. 3 hours prior to sacrifice lowered labile-ester phosphorus (predominantly ATP) in the fasciculata and elevated this fraction in the reticular-medullary border zone and medulla. Inorganic phosphorus was more uniformly distributed throughout the zones and the ACTH treatment produced some increase in all regions except outer fasciculata. Analysis of whole-gland homogenates prepared from adrenals of untreated animals killed at noon and at midnight revealed a considerable decrease in labile-ester and a significant increase in inorganic phosphorus at midnight. Injection of ACTH largely abolished these day-night differences by decreasing the values of the former and increasing those of latter in the noon group. A series of subcutaneous cortisone injections (7 mg. cortisone acetate/kg, daily for 2 weeks) produced significant increases in concentration of the labile-esters in both groups, and in the inorganic fraction at noon. The treatment reduced the inorganic phosphorus of the whole gland at both periods. Six days after hypophysectomy little effect was detected either in the labile-ester or inorganic phosphorus concentration in adrenals from either the noon or midnight group, although a slight decrease in the ester content per gland at both periods was noted and variability in some of the data on the inorganic fraction was found. Comparison of labile-ester changes to those of coenzyme A (reported earlier) showed an inverse effect.

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