Nikicicz H, Kasprzak A, Malendowicz L K
Cell Tissue Res. 1984;235(2):459-62. doi: 10.1007/BF00217874.
Adrenal glands of adult male hamsters are larger and secrete more cortisol than those of females. Stereology was therefore used to study zonal and cellular aspects of development of the adrenal cortex of male and female hamsters. Adrenal glands were studied at weekly intervals from day 21 to day 77 of postnatal ontogenesis. Within this period, body weight did not differ significantly between the sexes. During development, absolute and relative adrenal weights were higher in males; their zona glomerulosa (ZG), zona fasciculata (ZF) and zona reticularis (ZR) become markedly larger than those in females. No marked changes in the volume of individual ZG cells occurred although ZF cells and ZR cells become larger in male than female animals. The total number of adrenocortical cells increased within the period studied, a greater increase being observed in ZG and ZF in males. No distinct sex difference was observed in the number of ZR cells throughout development. From day 56 of postnatal life the adrenal cortex of male hamster contained more parenchymal cells than the female gland. These results thus indicate that sex differences in hamster adrenal cortex depend upon changes in number and size of parenchymal cells.
成年雄性仓鼠的肾上腺比雌性的更大，且分泌更多的皮质醇。因此，采用体视学方法研究了雄性和雌性仓鼠肾上腺皮质的区域和细胞发育情况。在出生后第21天至第77天的个体发育过程中，每周对肾上腺进行研究。在此期间，两性的体重无显著差异。在发育过程中，雄性的肾上腺绝对重量和相对重量均较高；其球状带（ZG）、束状带（ZF）和网状带（ZR）明显比雌性的大。尽管雄性动物的ZF细胞和ZR细胞比雌性的大，但单个ZG细胞的体积没有明显变化。在所研究的时期内，肾上腺皮质细胞总数增加，雄性ZG和ZF的增加更为明显。在整个发育过程中，ZR细胞的数量未观察到明显的性别差异。从出生后第56天起，雄性仓鼠的肾上腺皮质实质细胞比雌性的多。因此，这些结果表明仓鼠肾上腺皮质的性别差异取决于实质细胞数量和大小的变化。
