Innervation of the zona fasciculata of the adult human adrenal cortex: a light and electron microscopic study

Summary Autonomic innervation of the adrenal cortex has been demonstrated in several species. Detailed ultrastructural studies on the innervation of the zona fasciculata of the normal human adrenal cortex are lacking. We report herein our observations on the pattern of innervation of the cells of the zona fasciculata of the normal adult human cortex at both the light and electron microscope levels. Postganglionic unmyelinated fibers were observed to descend from a dense capsular meshwork and to be distributed as delicate branches among the columns of endocrine cells. Immunoperoxidase staining confirmed the presence of nerve fibers in the zona fasciculata in a distribution similar to that observed after staining with silver impregnation methods. Ultrastructural findings lent further support to these observations by the demonstration of bundles of unmyelinated fibers with focal enlargements containing terminal boutons with both clear and dense core vesicles in close approximation with the endocrine cells.     

CT、MRI对肾上腺病变的诊断分析

目的:分析探讨CT、MRI诊断对肾上腺病变的作用与价值。方法:MarconiMX8000 4层螺旋CT机,增强造影剂使用非离子型制剂,常规扫描及增强。应用西门子MAGNETOM1.5T磁共振机,增强造影剂使用Gd-DTPA制剂,常规T1WI、T2WI、脂肪抑制、化学位移同反相位及增强。对25例经手术及病理资料诊断证实的肾上腺病变进行CT、MRI诊断回顾性分析。结果:可清楚显示肾上腺病变的侧别、数目、大小、范围及可能的性质。结论:CT是肾上腺病变最佳影像检查方法,MRI具有重要辅助及补充诊断价值。     

消化性溃疡的皮质醇分泌异常

采用放射免疫测定法研究了70例非应激性消化性溃疡患者的皮质醇分泌状态;并比较了患者与84例正常人的血清皮质醇浓度及其昼夜分泌节律。发现非应激性消化性溃疡血清皮质醇浓度明显高于健康对照组(P<0.01);然昼夜分泌节律相仿。结果提示,非应激性消化性溃疡有皮质醇分泌的明显异常。     

Adrenocortical responsiveness in neonates weaned from the ventilator with dexamethasone

Adrenocortical responsiveness was assessed in eight very low birthweight neonates who had bronchopulmonary dysplasia and had been weaned from mechanical ventilation using dexamethasone. Three of the eight infants did not respond to ACTH stimulation during the first week after cessation of dexamethasone, but all three responded normally when retested at least 1 month later. The present authors have thus demonstrated that some infants have at least temporary adrenocortical unresponsiveness after prolonged courses of glucocorticoid therapy, and suggest that adrenocortical function should be assessed in all infants who are weaned from mechanical ventilation using dexamethasone.     

Neuropathological study 16 years after autologous adrenal medullary transplantation in a Parkinson's disease patient.

To date, there is no clinicopathological correlation of adrenal medullary transplant cases in patients with survival beyond a few years. Postmortem examination of a brain from a patient with Parkinson's disease (PD), 16 years after autologous adrenal medullary transplant, was performed using tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and chromogranin A. The patient experienced a four-year initial improvement in motor function followed by resumption of the progressive nature of her disease that continued until her death. She expired 16 years following grafting. At autopsy, TH stain of the brain revealed severe loss of TH-immunoreactivity in the substantia nigra and Lewy bodies, confirming the diagnosis of PD. The transplant site was identified by the presence of scarring and there was complete absence of any TH staining cells at the site of the transplant. There were few surviving cells staining with chromogranin A. The absence of TH-staining cells in the transplant 16 years after surgery provides further evidence that adrenal medullary transplants do not survive in the long term.     

肾上腺肿瘤及增生27例诊治经验

27例肾上腺肿瘤及增生中皮质醇症8例、嗜铬细胞瘤16例、原发性醛固酮增多症、髓质增生症及无功能性肿瘤各1例。定位诊断主要为CT检查及腹膜后注气造影。皮质醇症术前应有效地控制血糖;嗜铬细胞瘤术前使用皮质激素有助于患者顺利地度过手术关。本组患者以手术治疗为主,并阐述了手术治疗的经验。     

Effect of Tripterygium Vilfordii on Adrenal Cortex in Rat with Adjuvant Arthritis

(张明敏)(刘沛霖)(叶望云)ＥｆｆｅｃｔｏｆＴｒｉｐｔｅｒｙｇｉｕｍＶｉｌｆｏｒｄｉｉｏｎＡｄｒｅｎａｌＣｏｒｔｅｘｉｎＲａｔｗｉｔｈＡｄｊｕｖａｎｔＡｒｔｈｒｉｔｉｓ￥ＺＨＡＮＧＭｉｎｇ－ｍｉｎ；ＬＩＵＰｅｉ－ｌｉｎ；ＹＥＷａｎｇ－ｙｕｎ（Ｔｏｎｇｊｉ...     

Differential Stimulation of Noradrenaline Release by Reversal of the Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger and Depolarization in Chromaffin Cells

We compared the effectiveness of Ca²⁺ entering by Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange with that of Ca²⁺ entering by channels produced by membrane depolarization with K⁺ in inducing catecholamine release from bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. The Ca²⁺ influx through the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger was promoted by reversing the normal inward gradient of Na⁺ by preincubating the cells with ouabain to increase the intracellular Na⁺ and then removing Na⁺ from the external medium. In this way we were able to increase the cytosolic free Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_c) by Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange to 325 ± 14 nM, which was similar to the rise in [Ca²⁺]_c observed upon depolarization with 35 mM K⁺ of cells not treated with ouabain. After incubating the cells with ouabain, K⁺ depolarization raised the [Ca²⁺]_c to 398 ± 31 nM, and the recovery of [Ca²⁺]_c to resting levels was significantly slower. Reversal of the Na⁺ gradient caused an −6-fold increase in the release of noradrenaline or adrenaline, whereas K⁺ depolarization induced a 12-fold increase in noradrenaline release but only a 9-fold increase in adrenaline release. The ratio of noradrenaline to adrenaline release was 1.24 ± 0.23 upon reversal of the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange, whereas it was 1.83 ± 0.19 for K⁺ depolarization. Reversal of the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange appeared to be as efficient as membrane depolarization in inducing adrenaline release, in that the relation of [Ca²⁺]_c to adrenaline release was the same in both cases. In contrast, we found that for the same average [Ca²⁺]_c, the Ca²⁺ influx through voltage-gated channels was much more efficient than the Ca²⁺ entering through the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger in inducing noradrenaline release from chromaffin ceils. This greater effectiveness of membrane depolarization in stimulating noradrenaline release suggests that there is a pool of noradrenaline vesicles which is more accessible to Ca²⁺ entering through voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels than to Ca²⁺ entering through the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger, whereas the adrenaline vesicles do not distinguish between the source of Ca²⁺.     

腹腔镜肾上腺肿瘤切除术75例报告

目的探讨腹腔镜下肾上腺肿瘤切除的方法和临床应用价值.方法1999年1月～2004年6月75例患者行腹腔镜肾上腺肿瘤切除术,其中采用经腹腔途径51例和经腹膜后途径24例.结果手术时间平均为(170.16±33.81)min,术中的出血量平均为(70.82±37.15)ml.术后平均住院时间为(5.87±1.01)d.中转开放手术2例(2.67%).发生并发症4例(5.33%),分别为膈肌损伤、胰腺损伤、肠道损伤、皮下血肿各1例.结论腹腔镜下行肾上腺肿瘤切除术具有创伤小,术中出血少,术后恢复快等优点,已经成为现代治疗肾上腺肿瘤的金标准.