Studies of adrenocortical ultrastructure

The ultrastructural features of interrenal cells derived from the normal domestic fowl are described. The interrenal cells, like other steroid-producing cells, contain more smoothsurfaced endoplasmic reticulum than the granular variety, and accommodate mitochondria with tubular inner structure. Other cytoplasmic structures are lipid droplets, dense bodies and the Golgi apparatus. The following structures were demonstrated for the first time in the avian adrenocortical cell:intramitochondrial crystallized tubules and intramatrical lipid-like droplets, cytoplasmic microtubules and filaments, cilia, both free and intracytoplasmic; nuclear bodies and intranuclear lipid-like inclusions; and attachment devices, often combined with mortisetenon joints. Likewise, this study demonstrated for the first time the polarity of the interrenal cells of the fowl. These rest on a basal lamina and accommodate the majority of lipid droplets at the basal (vascular) pole, and the Golgi apparatus, dense bodies and attachment devices at the apical pole. Due to the uniform fixation of the entire organ obtained in this investigation, the present work has provided a useful base line for subsequent investigations concerning adrenal physiology and pathology (Kjaerheim, 1968b, c).