High resolution autoradiographic investigations on the mechanism of the adrenolytic effect of 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene on the inner layers of the rat adrenal cortex.

The effects of chronic treatment with DMBA on the 3H-uridine incorporation into rat adrenocortical cells was investigated by high resolution autoradiography. It was found that DMBA significantly decreases the tracer incorporation into both nuclear and mitochondrial compartments of the zona reticularis cells. The hypothesis that the mechanism of the lytic effect of DMBA on the inner adrenocortical layers involves inhibition of nuclear and mitochondrial RNA synthesis is discussed.