51 research outputs found
100th anniversary of the discovery of the human adrenal fetal zone by Stella Starkel and Lesław Węgrzynowski: how far have we come?
A connection between extracellular matrix and hormonal signals during the development of the human fetal adrenal gland
Morphometric study of the human suprarenal gland in the first postnatal year
The aim of present, study was to describe adrenal volume, volumes of adrenocortical zones, and stroma volume in 40 adrenals obtained from children between 1st and 370th day during autopsy. The postnatal decrease in adrenal volume was caused mainly by rapid fall of fetal zone (FZ) volume (from 70 to 3% of total adrenal volume) that can be divided into two phases: rapid phase (from birth to the end of the second week) and a slow phase from the 3rd week on. Involution was accompanied by increase of zona glomerulosa (ZG) (from l0 to 25% of total adrenal volume), zona fasciculata ZF (from 10 to 38%) and zona reticularis (ZR), volume from 1 to 23%). During the whole investigated period the volume of medulla remained constant. The volume fraction of stroma (connective tissue and blood vessels) was highest at the beginning of the first postnatal week and then decreased rapidly at the end of the 2nd week, with the most pronounced changes in the fetal zone and medulla. Performed present stereological study confirms opinion that hemorrhagic mechanisms are involved in the involution process of the human fetal zone
Comparative stereological study on zonation and cellular composition of adrenal glands of normal and anencephalic human fetuses. l. Zonation of the gland
Comparative stereological studies were
performed on zonation of adrenal glands in 10
anencephalic and 11 normal fetuses, aged between 24
and 39 postovulatory weeks.
The development of adrenal fetal zone (FZ) is the
main factor responsible for normal adrenal gland growth
during the intra-uterine life. At the end of fetal '3e riod volume of this zone attains over 8200 mm and
constitutes 69-70% of the total gland volume, while
respective values for zona glomerulosa (ZG), zona
fasciculata (ZF) and medulla IM' are 1665 mm3 (14%) 833 mm3 (7%) and 1071 mm (9%). These data were in
striking contrast with those found in adrenals of
anencephalic fetuses, in which volume of the gland
attained only ca 35% of that in normal fetuses. In the
oldest anencephalic fetus studied (39 weeks) the volume
of the fetal zone was 962 mm3 (ca 8-folds lower than in
normal fetus) comprising only 25% of the total gland
volume. For the remaining zones the values were: ZG -
1501 mm3 (ca 90% of the normal value and 39% of the
total gland volume); ZF - 770 mm3 (ca 92% and 20%
respectively), and M - 539 mm3 (ca 50% and 14%,
respective1 y).
This stereological study provides the first systemic
description of the development of adrenal gland of
anencephalic fetuses in comparison with the normally
developing gland. Moreover, evidence is given that the
growth of adrenal medulla is also retarded in
anencephaly while the growth of the zona glomerulosa
remains rather unaffected
Comparative stereological studies on zonation and cellular composition of adrenal glands of normal and anencephalic human fetuses. II. Cellular composition of the gland
In our previous paper (Bocian-Sobkowska et
al., 1997) we demonstrated a striking difference in
development of zonation in adrenals of normal and
anencephalic human fetuses. The purpose of the present
study was to characterize, by means of stereology, the
cellular composition of developing adrenals in the same
case. Studies were performed on 11 pairs of adrenal
glands from normal fetuses and 10 from anencephalic
fetuses.
In the studied period of development (24 to 39
weeks of intra-uterine life) the average volume of cells
in normal glands increased as follows: zona glomerulosa
(ZG) from 355 to 870 pm3; zona fasciculata (ZF) from
779 to 1200 pm3; fetal zone (FZ) from 2004 to 2380
pm3; and medulla (M) from 600 to 970 ym3. In
anencephalic fetuses, the appropriate values were: ZG -
380-680 pn3; ZF - 460-680 pm3; FZ - 1820-1680 pm3;
and M - 870-1400 pm3. At the end of the studied period
the number of ZG cells in normal fetuses was two fold
higher than in anencephalics, ZF cells - 6-fold and in FZ
- 5-fold higher, while in the M the number of cells was
nearly equal in both groups. During the whole
investigated period of intra-uterine development the total
number of adrenocortical cells in normal glands
increased ca 2.5-fold, while in anencephalic glands only
ca 0.5-fold, reaching at the end ca 40% of normal value.
In both normal and anencephalic adrenals the number of
ZG and M cells was highly correlated with ZG/M cell
ratio, being slightly higher in normal glands. No such
relation was demonstrated for cells of the remaining
adrenocortical zones
Cytological aspects of the human adrenal cortex development in the course of intra-uterine life
Stereological studies were performed on 20
pairs of adrenal glands of human foetuses. The volume
of particular adrenocortical zones, average cell volume
and number of parenchymal cells were calculated.
In 50 to 320 mm crown-rump length (C.-R.L.)
foetuses (9-38 weeks of the intra-uterine life) an
exponential increase in adrenal gland weight was found.
If compared with the earlier period, the rate of increase
was evidently higher beginning from the 20th week and
depended mainly upon enlargement of the foetal zone,
with less marked changes in the glomerulosa-fasciculata
zone.
The zona glomerulosa (ZG) and the outer zona
fasciculata (ZF) began to delineate by the 20th week of
gestation. Zona reticularis was not observed in our
material. From the beginning of development,
fasciculata cell volume was markedly higher than that of
ZG cells and lower than foetal zona (ZX) cells.
Until the 20th week of intra-uterine life the volume of
glomerulosa-fasciculata zone (G-FZ) increased at a slow
rate, while the rate of increase in volume of ZX was
higher. After 20 weeks the rate of increase in volume of
al1 adrenocortical zones was markedly higher (the same
as that of the stroma). The volume of stroma in ZX
markedly exceeded that in the remaining parts of the
cortex.
The average cell volume of ZG and ZF remained constant during the foetal period, while the average cell
volume of ZX cells increased gradually from the 9th to
the 20th foetal week and afterwards remained
unchanged.
Of interest is the fact that the percentage of ZX cells
in the gland remained rather constant during the whole
period of observation (about 3540% for ZX and 60-65%
for ZG and ZF)
Morphometric studies on the development of the human thyroid gland. II. The late fetal life
Histological and morphometric studies were
performed on 27 thyroid glands obtained from normal
fetuses ranging between 23 to 40 weeks of intra-uterine
life.
In the thyroids the volume of gland, colloid, and
stroma were calculated by means of differential pointcounting
method and the height of the thyroid follicular
cells was measured. Moreover, the epithelium/colloid
ratio in the thyroid gland, a very sensitive parameter of
stimulation of the glands by TSH, was calculated.
Regarding the values of this ratio in human fetal thyroid
gland, the intra-uterine development of the gland may be
divided into three distinct stages. The first one, between
weeks 10- 18 is characterized by massive folliculogenesis
and gradual accumulation of the colloid. The second
stage, between weeks 19-29 of fetal life is characterized
by rather unchanged values of epithelium/colloid ratio
and the size of follicles. The third stage, after the 29th
week of development is characterized by a gradual
increase in the epithelium/colloid ratio and a decrease in
the size of follicles
Morphometric studies on the development of human thyroid gland in early fetal life
Histological and morphometric studies were
performed on 30 thyroid glands obtained from normal
human fetuses. Their crown-rump length (CRL) ranged
from 57 to 190 mm, corresponding to the gestational
age of 10 - 20 weeks.
The weight of the thyroid gland increased proportionally
in relation to CRL, foot length and fetus
weight. The first follicles containing PAS-positive
colloid were observed in the peripheral part of the
thyroid gland of 57 mm CRL fetus. The number of
follicles per 1 mm2 of thyroid surface section increased
up to 85 mm CRL and thereafter gradually declined for
the end of studied period of fetal life. The volumes (in
mm3) of thyroid epithelium, colloid and stroma,
beginning from 85 mm increased proportionally to the
CRL while the height of epithelial cells did not change.
The epithelium/colloid ratio decreased notably to 165
mm CRL and thereafter remained constant.
Results of the present study suggest that the thyroid
gland of human fetus approaches structural maturity in
17.5 week of gestation
Stereology of human fetal adrenal medulla
Stereological studies were performed on 27
pairs of adrenal glands of human fetuses (9-38 weeks of
intra-uterine development).
Medullary chrornaffin cells were identified by
irnrnunostaining for chromogranin-A. The volume of
adrenal rnedulla, average cell volurne, and the number of
chrornaffin cells were calculated.
The volume of adrenal medulla increased slowly up
to the 20th week and afterwards it enlarged rapidly to the
3 1 st week of the fetal period.
A gradual, linear increase in the number of
chromaffin cells of developing adrenal rnedulla was
observed during the studied period. On the contrary, the
average volurne of the adrenal medullary cells rernained
quite constant until the 17th week of the development.
Afterwards, a gradual, linear increase in the cell volume
was observed until the 31 st week, reaching a plateau by
the end of intra-uterine developrnent
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