QUANTITATIVE HISTOCHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION OF COENZYME A IN THE RAT ADRENAL IN VARIOUS FUNCTIONAL STATES12

Abstract

Modifications of the procedure of Malmstrom and Glick for the micro measurement of coenzyme A were employed in a study of the quantitative histological distribution of the coenzyme in adrenal glands of male albino rats. Subcutaneous injection of 25 mg ACTH per kg 3 hours before sacrifice produced significant increases in coenzyme A concentration in the adjoining zones between the glomerulosa and fasciculata, and the fasciculata and reticularis. Small increases occurred in the medulla and the reticular-medullary border zone. Subcutaneous injection of 5 mg calcium-d-pantothenate 3 hours before sacrifice increased the coenzyme concentration in all zones except the adjacent fascicular-reticular regions. Analysis of whole gland homo-genates prepared from adrenals of animals killed at noon and at midnight revealed that the coenzyme concentration was about 100 per cent greater in the latter. Injection of ACTH abolished day-night differences by producing maximal concentrations in both groups. Injection of pan-tothenate also elevated the concentration, but simultaneous administration of both ACTH and pantothenate resulted in values lower than those obtained with ACTH alone. A series of subcutaneous cortisone injections (7 mg cortisone acetateAg daily for 2 weeks) produced near maximal values in both groups when the data were expressed as coenzyme A per unit protein-nitrogen. Six days after hypophysectomy the coenzyme A concentration had fallen drastically and day-night differences were minimized.