Comparative stereological studies on zonation and cellular composition of adrenal glands of normal and anencephalic human fetuses. II. Cellular composition of the gland

• Bocian-Sobkowska, J. ^[1] ; Malendowicz, L. K. ^[2] ; Wozniak, W. ^[1]
  1. [1] Department of Anatomy, University School of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
  2. [2] Department of Histology and Embryology, University School of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
• Localización: Histology and histopathology: cellular and molecular biology, ISSN-e 1699-5848, ISSN 0213-3911, Vol. 12, Nº. 2, 1997, págs. 391-399
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen

  • In our previous paper (Bocian-Sobkowska et a I. , 1997) we demon stra ted a striking diffe re nc e in deve lopme nt o f zonati o n in adre na ls o f no rma l a nd anencephalic human fetuses. The purpose of the present stud y was to characterize, by means of stereology, the cellular composition of developing adrenals in the same case. Studies we re perfo rmed on 11 pa irs o f adre na l glands from normal fetuses and 10 from anencephalic fetuses.

    In th e studi ed pe ri od of deve lopme nt (24 to 39 weeks of intra-uterine life) the average volume of cells in normal glands increased as follows: zona glomerulosa (ZG) from 355 to 870 ,um3; zona fascicul ata (ZF) from 779 to 1200,um3; fetal zone (FZ) from 2004 to 2380 ,u m3 ; a nd me dull a (M) fr o m 600 to 9 70 ,um3 . In anencephali c fe tuses, the appropriate values were: ZG - 380-680 ,um3; ZF - 460-680 ,um3; FZ - 1820-1 680 lim3;

    and M - 870-1400 ,um3. At the end of the studied period the number of ZG cells in normal fetuses was two fold higher than in anencephalics, ZF cells - 6-fold and in FZ - 5-fo ld higher, whil e in the M the number of cells was nea rly equ a l in b o th g ro up s. Durin g th e whol e investigated period of intra-uterine development the total numb e r of adr e noco rti ca l ce lls in no rm a l g la nd s increased ca 2.5-fo ld, while in anencephalic glands only ca O.5-fold, reaching at the end ca 40% of normal value.

    In both normal and anencephalic adrenals the number of ZG and M cells was highly correlated with ZG/M cell ratio, be ing slightly higher in normal glands. No such relatio n was demonstrated fo r ce lls o f the rema ining adrenocortical zones.