Open Access

ARTICLE

Chronic stress effects on the apoptotic index of the adrenal cortex of pregnant rats

by ANDREA BOZZO*, CARLOS ALBERTO SOÑEZ*, MARÍA TERESA MUGNAINI*, ISABEL CECILIA PASTORINO*, ALICIA NÉLIDA ROLA

* Biología Celular y Embriología General, Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Argentina.
** Fisología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Argentina.
Address correspondence to: Ms.Sc. Andrea A. Bozzo. Cátedra de Biología Celular y Embriología General. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, (CP. X5804BYA) Río Cuarto, Córdoba, ARGENTINA. Fax: (+54-358) 4680280. E-mail: abozzo@ayv.unrc.edu.ar

BIOCELL 2006, 30(3), 439-445. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2006.30.439

Abstract

Chronic stress by immobilization during gestation can alter several mechanisms that maintain homeostasis in adrenal gland. The aim of this work was to quantify the apoptotic index of adrenal cortex during mid-pregnancy and to prove cytological characteristics by electron microscopy. The apoptotic index did not present significant differences between the adrenal cortex areas of control and experimental rats in any of the three ages studied. The day of gestation influenced significantly on the apoptotic index in both groups. This index increased as gestation progressed. It may be concluded that chronic stress by immobilization might induce the increase of apoptotic index in adrenal cortex as gestation progresses which might be related variations of plasmatic corticosterone and prolactin, and to the decrease of specific growth factors. On the other hand, it might be concluded that each zone of adrenal cortex behaves independently in regards to apoptosis and cellular proliferation via paracrine and/or autocrine regulatory mechanisms without being affected by other zones.

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