Effect of nicotine on the morphology of adrenal cortex

ABSTRACT

The morphological effects of nicotine on the adrenal cortex have been observed in this study to get supportive evidence whether nicotine has some effect on the adrenal cortex; as regards the morphology. Animals were divided into three groups, which comprised group A control group, group B treated group and group C placebo group. Among these animals half of the animals from each group were sacrificed after 40 days and the remaining half after 60 days of treatment. Group A was control group, group B was given Nicotine Sigma 1 mg/kg body weight daily intra peritoneally for 50 days and B2 for 60 days. Group C and C 1, were given the same quantity of saline intra peritoneally daily for same period. On autopsy adrenals were removed and fixed in normal saline. 5 micron thick sections in paraffin and 10 micron thick frozen sections were studied for the cortical zones, cell size in each zone and among of lipid in cortical cells. It was observed that in treated group there was no change in B1 group but there was a marked hypertrophy of fasciculata cells with increased width of zona fasciculata. To conclude, the present study supports the view that nicotine has stimulant effect on the adrenal cortex and prolonged administration of the drug can induce morphological changes in fasciculata cells