Elsevier

Experimental Neurology

Volume 82, Issue 2, November 1983, Pages 432-446
Experimental Neurology

Early adrenalectomy stimulates subsequent growth and development of the rat brain

https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-4886(83)90415-6Get rights and content

Abstract

Rats were adrenalectomized (ADX) or sham-operated (SHAM) on the 11th day of life and subsequent brain development (cerebrum and cerebellum) studied in terms of tissue weight and biochemical composition. Measured at about 65 days of age, early ADX subjects had significantly heavier brains (in terms of both wet and dry weights) than SHAMs, despite being lighter in overall body weight. Brain protein and DNA contents were elevated, as was the activity of 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase (CNP), a myelin marker enzyme. Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), a glucocorticoid-regulated enzyme, was reduced in activity. Although both the cerebrum and cerebellum showed the growth-enhancing effects of early adrenalectomy, the DNA and CNP changes were most pronounced in the cerebrum. Finally, the effect of adrenal removal on myelinogenesis was confirmed by subcellular fractionation experiments demonstrating that more myelin could be recovered from the brains of ADX than from SHAM animals. These results are significant in terms of the influence of adrenal secretions on normal brain development and the role of GPDH in myelin lipid biosynthesis.

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    The author acknowledges Dr. Lyle Hayes for helping set up the myelin isolation procedure and Ms. Christina Decoteau for typing the final manuscript. This research was supported in part by Biomedical Research Support Grant RR07048 from the National Institutes of Health and by a Faculty Research Grant from the University of Massachusetts.

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