[Morphological changes in the adrenal gland of Japanese quail chicken hatched out in microgravity]

The paper presents results of studying effects of spaceflight factors on the adrenal structure in Japanese quail hatchlings (Coturnix coturnix japonica) incubated and kept alive 4 to 5 days aboard the space station Mir. In comparison with the ground controls, cortical cells in the adrenals of space hatchlings contained copious fat drops, mitochondrias, and significantly dilated cisterns of the endoplasmic reticulum. Accumulation of fat drops evidences lowered cholesterol transformation and disturbed genesis of steroids. Cytoplasm of the medullar chromaffin cells was full of dark large granules; some of these cells also had enlarged mitochondrias and dilated endoplasmic reticulum cisterns.