engleski

Involvement of beta-adrenergic receptors in adrenal compensatory growth

Compensatory growth of adrenal cortex is mediated through sympathetic nervous system. The adrenergic inervation is delivered to adrenal cortex mainly through the splanchnic nerve. (Holzwarth MA, 1987)Ann NY Acad Sci ; 512-449. The aim of experiments presented here was to determine receptors involved in compensatory adrenal growth. Mature rats underwent unilateral adrenalectomy and subsequent a) contralateral splanchnectomy ; b)chronic treatment with adrenergic drugs (guanetidine, reserpine) ; c)chronic treatment with beta-receptors blocking drugs (propranolol, atenolol, sotalol). Ten days after unilateral adrenalectomy rats were sacrificied. Beta-receptors blocking drugs prevented compensatory adrenal growth in the same extent as splanchnectoy and treatment with antiadrenergic drugs. In another type of experiments, rats underwent unilateral splanchnectomy and chronic treatment with atenolo. Unilateral splanchnectoy induced contralateral adrenal growth that was prevented by atenolol as observed 10 days after operation. To investigate the involvement of stress reaction in adrenal hypertrophy rats were submitted to spinal cord transection at Th-10 level and were chronically treated with atenolol. Stress induced bilateral adrenal enlargement that could not be prevented with atenolol. This indicates that: a)compensatory adrenal growth is mediated through adrenergic splanchnic innervation ; b) peripheral adrenergic receptors probably of beta-1 subtype, are involved in this process ; c) the mechanisms of compensatory growth are different from the mechanisms involved in stress induced adrenal hypertrophy.

beta-adrenergic receptors; compensatory adrenal growth; atenolol

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