Cushing's syndrome- and disease-like lesions in rats

Cushing's disease and Cushing's syndrome-like lesions were observed in four male rats. 2 revealed ACTH-positive pituitary tumours associated with bilateral adrenal cortical hyperplasia (case 1, 2). The other 2 rats had metastasizing adrenal cortical carcinomas with marked adrenal cortical atrophy of the opposite adrenal glands (case 3, 4). Pathological lesions observed varied between the animals and included "potbelly", severe obesity, fatty degeneration of the liver, atrophy of the pancreas and greater sublingual glands with fatty infiltration, testicular atrophy, ulcers of the forestomach and purulent inflammation in different organs.