A quantitative analysis of rat adrenal chromaffin tissue: morphometric analysis at tissue and cellular level correlated with catecholamine content.

A morphometric analysis of normal Wistar rat adrenal medulla following perfusion fixation and Araldite embedding, was correlated with catecholamine levels on fresh tissue, measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. The mean volume of whole adrenal is 13.2 mm3 and the mean medullary volume 1.3 mm3. Volume density estimates showed that the medulla is composed of 63% chromaffin tissue with an adrenaline to noradrenaline storing cell ratio of 4.4:1. The vasculature occupies 20%, neuronal tissue 5% and interstitial tissues 12% of the medulla. A comparison was made of cell volumes, cell numbers and volume and surface density estimates of cytoplasmic organelles in adrenaline and noradrenaline storing cells. The mean cell volume of adrenaline storing cells at 1300 micron3 is larger than that of noradrenaline storing cells at 980 micron3. A single adrenal medulla contains 4.4-5.7 X 10(5) adrenaline cells and 1.5-1.9 X 10(5) noradrenaline cells. Chromaffin granules account for approximately 30% of the volume of the cytoplasm; the numerical density of granules at different sites in the cell was calculated for adrenaline cells. The volume density of mitochondria (4%) and the surface density of mitochondrial membranes (the ratio of outer to inner membrane being approximately 1:2.3) were similar in both cell types. Rough endoplasmic reticulum was the only organelle to show a significant difference in volume and surface density between the two cell types. Adrenaline storing cells have stacks of rough endoplasmic reticulum which have two to three times the surface and volume densities of that found diffusely scattered throughout noradrenaline cells. The adrenaline content of an adrenaline storing cell is 0.14 X 10(-6) microM and that of a granule 3.0 X 10(-12) or 3.8 X 10(-12) mumoles depending on the method of calculation. The noradrenaline content of noradrenaline storing cells can only be calculated on the assumption that all noradrenaline is stored in this cell type though it is likely that some is contained within adrenaline cells. Based on this assumption the noradrenaline content is 0.17 X 10(-6) mumoles per cell and 5 X 10(-12) mumoles per granule. The present study provides baseline morphometric data on the rat adrenal medulla at tissue and cellular level correlated with amine levels in adrenaline and noradrenaline storing cells and granules.