EFFECTS OF FLAVIN ADENINE DINUCLEOTIDE ON THE FINE STRUCTURE AND GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE ACTIVITY OF ADRENAL GLANDS OF RAT TREATED WITH DEXAMETHASONE PHOSPHATE

Abstract

The determination of adrenal glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) activity and electron microscopic observations of the adrenals of rats treated simultaneously with dexamethasone phosphate and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) were carried out in order to clarify one of the preventive mechanisms of FAD on steroid-induced adrenal atrophy. The result showed that decrease of adrenal G-6-PD activity was pre-vented by simultaneous administration of FAD and dexamethasone phosphate. Electron microscopy of the fascicular zone of the adrenals of rats suggests that their function is depressed by dexamethasone phosphate alone but not by dexamethasone phosphate plus FAD. It is thought that the preventive effects of FAD on the steroid-induced adrenal atrophy are closely related to the preservation of adrenal G-6-PD activity.