Abstract
Influences of morphine on the alteration of inner membranes of mitochondria in zona fasciculata in rat adrenal cortices and the degree of adrenal corticosteroid biosynthesis electron microscopically and biochemically were studied.
The results obtained are as follows: Administering morphine at a dosage of 20mg/kg to rats, the decrease of corticosteroid biosynthesis in the adrenal cortex was observed to be parallel in time to the onset of transformation of mitochondria, while the withdrawal of morphine after repeated administration of the drug, also resulted in the similiar alterations.
However, re-injection of the drug to withdrawn rats, alteration above-mentioned promptly recovered to the normal states within a few hours.
