Effect of melatonin on ram adrenal gland 1177


Fig. 2. Semithin sections of the adrenal medulla of the control and melatonin-treated group stained with toluidine blue. a,b: Adrenaline (A) cells stained intensely with toluidine blue, while, noradrenaline (NA) cells appeared larger in size and stained lightly with toluidine blue. Note, hypertrophy of A- and NA-cells and increase intensity of cytoplasm of A-cells in the treated group. c,d: The ganglionic cells (arrowheads) were lightly stained and distributed between chro- maffin cells. A notable increase in the diameter of these cells and their nucleus was evident in treated group. e,f: The blood sinusoids (white arrowheads) were few, narrow, and irregular in control group compared with numerous and wide ones in the treated group. Note, wide distribution of special types of arterioles and venules (black arrowheads) in the treated group in (f).


increased in both A- and NA-cells (Fig. 3b). The medulla after melatonin treatment appeared as richly supplied by preganglionic nerve fibers as it could be very obvious or thickened enough to be clearly seen (Fig. 3d). Also, the number of TCs was significantly increased (Table 1, Fig. 3f).


Electron Microscopy


Adrenal Cortex Zona glomerulosa The control group The cytoplasm of the cells of this zone contained smooth endoplasmic reticulum (sER) in form of network of anastomosing tubules and mitochondria with a vesicular-like arrangement of their cristae. The nucleus showed peripherally arranged heterochromatin and homo- genous euchromatin. Intercellular canaliculi between two adjacent cells were recorded (Figs. 4a, 4b). The treated group The cells of zona glomerulosa were packed with hypertrophied mitochondria that were rounded to oval in shape with rearrangement of cristae in the form of


Fig. 3. Semithin sections of the adrenal medulla of the control and melatonin-treated group stained with toluidine blue. a,b: Lit- tle or rare secretory granules were recorded in the chromaffin cells in the control group compared with a high number of granules (arrowheads) in treated group. c,d: Small bundles of nerve fibers (NF) surrounded by few small telocytes (arrowheads) in the con- trol group. Note, large bundle of nerve fibers that surrounded by abundant of enlarged telocytes in the treated group. e,f: Few and small telocytes (arrowheads) were distributed around the chro- maffin cells in the control group compared with numerous and large ones in the treated group.


tubular infoldings of the inner mitochondrial membrane. Moreover, the cytoplasmof these cells containedmany tubules of sER, numerous free ribosomes that occurred in clusters or linear chains and many lipid droplets (Figs. 4c, 4d).


Zona fasciculate The control group The cells contained a nucleus with peri- pheral condensed chromatin and single nucleolus. The cytoplasm contained sER and oval or spherical mitochon- dria. The mitochondrial cristae occurred as vesicular inpocketings of the inner mitochondrial membranes and these cristae were apparently free in the mitochondrial matrix. Many large lipid droplets were observed in the cytoplasm (Figs. 5a, 5b). The treated group The cytoplasm was packed by rounded to elongated mitochondria and showed many free ribosomes arranged in clusters or rosette forms that associated with dilated tubules of rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER).Numerous, large and clumped lipid droplets and many lysosomes were encoun- tered in their cytoplasm. Many small secretory granules were recorded in the intercellular spaces (Figs. 5c–5e).


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