Adrenal glands: morphofunctional reorganization based on the influence of exogenous and endogenous factors

Abstract

The adrenal glands are the subject of many researches in biology and medicine. They have unique histoarchitectonics of the parenchyma and structure of the bloodstream. They also perform a number of important functions necessary for the normal vital activity of the body under stress. A large number of scientific papers are devoted to the study of changes in the structural organization of this organ at the micro- and submicroscopic levels under the influence of various external and internal factors. Morphofunctional changes in the gland after experimental thermal burns of the skin remain poorly understood, which requires further experimental studies in this area.

The purpose of this study was to review the scientific literature on the effects of factors of different origins on the morphofunctional structure of the adrenal glands.

The article analyzes scientific publications devoted to the study of the effects on the adrenal morphology of stress factors, heavy metals, drugs and toxic substances, alcohol, smoking, starvation, hypergravity, physical exercises, hypothermia, poisoning, dehydration, drugs, diabetes, and viral infections. It was found that the factors we mentioned cause the reorganization of the structural components of the adrenal glands, violations of their histoarchitectonics, in particular microcirculatory bed, at the micro- and submicroscopic level. In most cases, there were phenomena of pericellular and perivascular edema, focal hemorrhage, connective tissue growth, thickening of the connective tissue capsule of the organ with signs of edema, vacuolation and edema of the cytoplasm, and the appearance of pyknotic nuclei. In the long term that followed after the experiment, the stabilization of morphofunctional elements of the gland and the microcirculatory bed was recorded, but complete restoration of the structural integrity of the organ did not occur.