Ultrastructural morphometry of normal adrenal cortex and of hyperplastic adrenals in gushing's disease

Surgical specimens of 4 normal adrenal glands and of 5 hyperplastic ones in Cushing's disease were studied ultrastructurally. The ultrastructure of the three zones of each adrenal gland was morphometrically and statistically analyzed. Comparing the statistical data of the three zones of the normal gland, the development of smooth endoplasmic reticuium and rough endoplasmic reticuium showed an increase from the outer zona glomerulosa to the inner zona fasciculata and reticularis. Also, the mitochondria were more numerous in the inner zona reticularis than in the outer zones. In Cushing's disease, the smooth endoplasmic reticuium, the rough endoplasmic reticuium, and the mitochondria were developed to a significantly higher degree than in normal human adrenal glands. The distribution of the cell organelles in the zona fasciculata and zona reticularis is almost alike in normal adrenal glands and in the adrenal cortex in Cushing's disease, except that the smooth endoplasmic reticuium in the zona reticularis was less extensive than in the zona fasciculata. The volume percentages of lipid vacuoies in the hyperplastic zona fasciculata in Cushing's disease was strongly and significantly decreased in comparison to normal adrenal glands. Our ultrastructural findings and the statistical data were in accordance with the results from animal experiments with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation and confirmed former qualitative ultrastructural findings concerning human adrenal gland changes in ACTH-dependent Cushing's disease.