Histomorphometrical and electron microscopic study of adrenocorticocytes following surgically induced extrahepatic biliary obstruction in adult female albino rats.

Cholestasis, which is a component of many liver diseases, is often associated with symptoms that resemble clinical adrenal insufficiency. This work aimed to study the histomorphometrical and electron microscopic structure of adrenocorticocytes after surgical induction of bile duct resection (BDR) in adult female albino rats. Sixty rats were randomly divided into control, BDR and sham-operated groups. Six weeks after surgery, the blood serum of the rats was examined biochemically, and the suprarenal cortexes were prepared for histological, morphometrical and statistical studies. The BDR group showed a highly significant increase in bilirubin and serum alkaline phosphatase levels, whereas aldosterone and cortisol levels were highly significantly decreased. The area percentages of positive immunoreactions for P53, cyclooxygenase II (COX-II) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (INOS) revealed highly significant increases in the BDR group. Electron microscopic examination of the BDR group showed marked cytoplasmic vacuolations, large lipid droplets, swollen mitochondria and many small dark nuclei in the adrenocorticocytes. The zona fasciculata had heterogeneously electron-dense mitochondria and dilated smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Some of the zona reticularis cells contained lipofuscin pigments. The surgical induction of BDR produced deleterious effects on the structure and function of the adrenocorticocytes. A long-term study using different animal species is recommended for further examination.