The action of a single toxic dose of 2-acetylaminofluorene or allylic alcohol on the adrenals. II. Effect on adrenal cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate concentration during the 1st and 2nd day.

In the adrenals of male Sprague-Dawley rats the concentration of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) was studied 5, 10, 14, 24, 30 and 39 hours after single intoxication by 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) or allylic alcohol (ALL). Beside diurnal changes a transient elevation of adrenal cAMP concentration occurred when compared with the controls 10 hours after intoxication. Thereafter, up to the 30th hour of investigation the values of the experimental groups as well as those of the control groups were within the same range. In the final stage of the experiment (30-39 hours after application) ALL intoxication was associated with a significant increase in adrenal cAMP concentration whereas it was reduced to subnormal level following AAF intoxication. In an earlier experimental study (Danz et al. 1976) we found inverse behaviour of the proliferative activity in the adrenal cortex: cell division was intensified by AAF whereas ALL was ineffective. These results indicate that division growth and functional activities are alternating conditions also in the adrenals. The possible causes of the different effects of intoxication by carcinogens or by noncarcinogenic substances are discussed.