A Stereological Description of Size and Number of Zona Fasciculata Mitochondria in Rat Adrenal Cortex after Hypophysectomy

抄録

The volume fractions and wet weights of the three cortical layers and medulla of the rat adrenal gland have been quantitatively determined by the stereological volumetry on the histological photograph during the period of 3days following hypophysectomy. Both of the volume fraction and wet weight decreased significantly only in the zona fasciculata after hypophysectomy. The mitochondria in the parenchymal cells of the zona fasciculata have been reconstructed three-dimensionally by Bach's theory on sphere size distribution. The total number of the mitochondria in the unit cytoplasmic volume and the average values of their radius and volume have been computed. The size distribution histograms have also been obtained in terms of the relative frequency as a function of the mitochondrial radius. These quantitative stereological computations have offered the evidences that 1) there is a volume increase in the zona fasciculata mitochondria following hypophysectomy, and 2) the total number of the mitochondria in an individual rat decreased to the half in about 3days.