[Effect of metopirone and glucocorticoids on the glycogen content in the adrenals of rat fetuses].

Metopiron, hydrocortisone and dexamethazone are able to influence different links of the hypothalamo-hypohysial-adrenal system and induce the inhibition of glucocorticoid function. Changes in glycogen content in the adrenal gland and liver of rat foetuses under the effect of the drugs in question were studied. It was shown that metopiron exerted no marked influence on the level of glycogen in the adrenal gland and decreased 2.5 times that in the liver. On the contrary, hydrocortisone and dexamethazone increased the glycogen content 2 times in the adrenal gland and did not change that in the liver. The results obtained agree with the hypothesis on the relation between the glycogen level in the adrenal gland and the level of its hormonal activity and are considered as an additional proof of the functioning of hypothalamo-hypophysial-adrenal system during the last days of the rat prenatal development.