AN ATTEMPT ON MORPHOLOGICAL DETECTION OF ACTH RECEPTOR OF THE ADRENAL CORTEX. CHARACTERISTICS OF ACTH·ANTI-ACTH IMMUNE COMPLEX BINDING WITH THE RAT ADRENAL CORTEX

Abstract

ACTH-anti-ACTH immune complex had steroidogenic activity, and bound with rat adrenal frozen sections in a characteristic manner with the immunofluorescence technique. It specifically bound with the adrenal cortex, and competed with native ACTH, but not with insulin. The adrenal glands from hypophysectomized rats showed a stronger affinity to the complex than those from untreated rats. The outer zona fasciculata bound most prominently, and also occasionally the inner zona fasciculata and reticularis, but the zona glomerulosa never bound the complex. The cellular sites of binding were not restricted on the cell membrane; cytoplasm of the cortical cells also showed positive staining.