Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1968 Apr;37(1):47-61.
doi: 10.1083/jcb.37.1.47.

A quantitative description of cortisone-induced alterations in the ultrastructure of rat liver parenchmal cells

J Wiener, A V Loud, D V Kimberg, D Spiro

A quantitative description of cortisone-induced alterations in the ultrastructure of rat liver parenchmal cells

J Wiener et al. J Cell Biol. 1968 Apr.

Abstract

A stereological comparison of the hepatic parenchymal cells from 125-g male rats given a daily injection for 6 days of either 5 mg of cortisone acetate or saline (controls) was carried out with both light and electron microscopy. Cortisone treatment results in an increase in average parenchymal cell cytoplasmic volume from 5100 to 5800 micro(3) and a decrease in average nuclear diameter from 7.1 to 6.5 micro. The volume of the average mitochondrion is increased fourfold in midzonal and peripheral regions of hepatic lobules, and there is a decrease in the number of mitochondria per cell such that the total mitochondrial volume per cell remains approximately unchanged. The numbers of peroxisomes are reduced, while the numbers of lysosomes and lipid droplets are increased in all parts of the lobules. The average volume of glycogen is doubled in all cells. The areas of membranes of the smooth- and rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum are decreased to one-half and two-thirds of their control values, respectively. The effects of cortisone on these various structural elements is discussed with respect to steroid-related alterations in biochemical processes.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. J Biol Chem. 1966 Jan 10;241(1):95-103 - PubMed
    1. Br Med J. 1958 Nov 22;2(5107):1260-3 - PubMed
    1. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 May 25;2(3):331-60 - PubMed
    1. Cancer Res. 1965 Sep;25(8):1219-24 - PubMed
    1. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1962 Feb 26;57:310-7 - PubMed