Resumen de Comparative stereological studies on zonation and cellular composition of adrenal glands of normal and anencephalic human fetuses. II. Cellular composition of the gland
J. Bocian Sobkowska, L.K. Malendowicz, W. Wozniak
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.
