EFFECT OF VARYING NOISE STRESS DURATION ON RAT ADRENAL-GLAND - AN ULTRASTRUCTURAL-STUDY

The present study was performed to examine the effect of varying durat ion of noise exposure on rat adrenal gland. Animals were exposed to no ise for 1, 6 and 12 h continuously and the sections obtained from expo sed rats were compared to those from corresponding controls. No signif icant ultrastructural changes were found in the zona glomerulosa, whil e mitochondria of the zona fasciculata showed matrix dilution and cris tolysis after 1 and 12 h of noise stress, At all exposure times examin ed, the zona reticularis exhibited areas of diluted cytoplasm, disarra nged endoplasmic reticulum, membrane vestigia and some altered mitocho ndria, Diluted cytoplasmic areas appeared in noradrenaline-and adrenal ine-storing cells after 6 and 12 h of exposure, respectively, Our find ings indicate that each zona of the adrenal cortex and the two cell ty pes of adrenal medulla show a differential reaction to noise stress.