[The effects of ACTH, aminoglutehimide and hypophysectomy on the rat adrenal lipids (author's transl)].

The lipid patterns in the adrenal glands of rats with the adrenocortical steroidogenesis stimulated by ACTH or inhibited by hypophysectomy or by aminoglutehimide (AGT) were compared with those in intact rats. The administration of ACTH caused the gradual decrease in the concentration of cholesteryl ester with the preferential decrease in the proportion of arachidonic acid. The deposition of cholesteryl ester was observed in the adrenal glands of both hypophysectomized and AGT treated rats. Hypophysectomy was accompained by the increase in the proportion of 16:0 and 18:0 and the decrease of 18:2 and 20:3, while AGT administration caused the increase in the proportion of 20:4 and the decrease of 22:6 in the cholesteryl fraction, ACTH and AGT treatments or hypophysectomy resulted in minor alterations of the concentrations and fatty acid compositions of triglyceride and phospholipid. The marked differences in the concentration as well as fatty acid compositions of cholesteryl ester under the stimulated or inhibited adrenal steroidogenesis suggest the important role of fatty acids esterified with cholesterol in the steroid hormone synthesis.