Spironolactone (Aldactone) Bodies: Concentric Lamellar Formations in the Adrenal Cortices of Patients Treated with Spironolactone

Abstract

"Spironolactone bodies," or intracytoplasmic acidophilic inclusions, are reported to occur in the zona glomerulosa of adrenal cortices of patients treated with spironolactone, an inhibitor of aldosterone. These phospholipid-containing bodies, as disclosed by electron microscopy, are concentric whorls of smooth membranes arranged in a pattern similar to that in many organs under experimental conditions. A discussion of their significance falls into one of four broad areas, namely: artefactual, degenerative, regenerative, and functional. Although the spironolactone body's relationship to the drug spironolactone is unclear, the authors believe that these structures represent a compensatory attempt on the part of the cell to produce increased mineralocorticoid.