Effect of noise on the ultrastructure of the adrenal gland of the rat

ABSTRACT

The present study examines the effect of noise which is a type of stress on the different layers of the adrenal gland. Sixteen adult white rats; both males and females weighting 200-250 gm were used. The animals were divided into two groups eight rats each, the first group was used as a control, the second group was exposed to sound six hours daily for ten days. Then the animals were killed and the suprarenal glands were extracted. Samples of about 1 cm thickness were taken from the adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla. The samples were prepared for electron microscope study. It was found that the noise induced significant changes in the cortex in the form of degenerative changes of some cells in zona glomerulosa. Also the zona fasiculata showed dilatation of the cristea of the mitochondria also the zona reticularis showed some dilatation of crestea of mitochondria and degeneration of some cells but the most significant changes after noise exposure were present in the medulla where the catecholamine granules were markedly decreased after releasing from the medulla, also it showed vacuolation in the cytoplasm and degenerated of its mitochondria The aim of this study was to know the effect of noise on the ultrastructural of the adrenal gland