Prehepatic Portal Hypertension Induces Alterations in Cytochrome Oxidase Activity in the Rat Adrenal Gland

Abstract

One approach to assess neuroendocrine response to portal hypertension in short-term portal vein-stenosed rats consists in studying metabolic and functional activity patterns in adrenal glands using mitochondrial enzyme cytochrome c oxidase (COX) as a histochemical marker. Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: a control group (Group I; n = 8), in which the animals did not undergo any operative intervention, and a triple calibrated portal vein stenosis group (TPVS) (Group II; n = 7). The sections of suprarenal glands were histochemically stained for COX and the optical densitometry was measured by a computer image analyzer attached to a microscope. In TPVS rats, COX activity in the adrenal gland cortex is lower than in control rats and affects the fascicular (52.30, 47.16–60.98, vs. 67.12, 60.31–73.89, p =. 002), glomerular (49.68, 46.19–53.56 vs. 70.47, 64.64–73.51, p <. 001), and reticular (47.35, 35.63–54.39, vs. 55.37, 49.76–58.97; p <. 05) layers. In contrast, COX activity in the adrenal gland medulla is similar in TPVS rats and in control rats (29.91, 29.54–31.18, vs. 29.67, 28.95–30.23). The changes in adrenocortical COX activity in short-term-TPVS rats could constitute a pathogenic factor for both splanchnic and systemic hyperdynamic circulations, described in this experimental model of prehepatic portal hypertension.

KEYWORDS:

• adrenal gland
• cytochrome c oxidase
• prehepatic portal hypertension
• rat

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