Studies on renal juxtaglomerular cells. II. Correlation of the degree of granulation of juxtaglomerular cells with width of the zone glomerulosa of the adrenal cortex

Abstract

Many of the observations made by Deane and associates (8, 13, 14) regarding the effects of salt restriction, excess salt intake, and hypophysectomy on the zonna glomerulosa of the adrenal cortex in the rat have been confirmed. A positive correlation (r = 0.63) of high statistical significance has been demonstrated between the degree of granulation of JG cells (JGI) and the width of the zona glomerulosa in 159 rats from 5 series of experiments in which low, normal, and high salt regimens were employed. A somewhat higher correlation (r = 0.81) was obtained when only rats were included from the most recent experiment of the series in which JGI counts were more accurate. Under the conditions of these experiments, therefore, increased granulation and degranulation of JG cells were associated with hyperactivity and suppressed activity, respectively, of the zona glomerulosa. Rats sacrificed 4 to 7 weeks after hypophysectomy were found to have normal JG cells. This finding constitutes another example of the similarity in response of JG cells to that of the zona glomerulosa, which also remained unaltered following hypophysectomy despite atrophy of the rest of the adrenal cortex.