[Changes in the adrenal cortex during adaptation to different regimes of motor activity]

The hypertrophy of the adrenal glands was higher in the rats adapted to long-lasting exercises of moderate and mild intensities. Ultrastructural analysis showed that there were more mitochondria and vesicular cristae as well as the elements of cytoplasmatic reticulum and lipid droplets in the cells of adrenal cortex of the adapted rats. The data obtained suggest two types of adaptational changes in the adrenal cortex: 1) pronounced hypertrophy with low spontaneous functional activity and increased content of cytochrome a--a3; 2) less pronounced hypertrophy with higher content of corticosterone and lower content of cytochrome a--a3 in adrenals.