The Effects of Drugs and Chemicals upon the Structure of the Adrenal Gland

testis, thyroid, ovary, pancreas, pituitary, and parathyroid. The first two are by far the most frequently affected. Pathologists unaccustomed to the evaluation of endocrine effects are often unaware of the number of compounds producing specific lesions in the adrenal. Compounds may produce changes in one of the following zones: fasckulata/reticularis, glomerulosa, or medulla. They are listed in this paper by affected zones. In the fasciculata/reticularis lesions are generally either degenerative or proliferative; in the glomerulosa they are necrotic or atrophic; in the medulla lesions are generally hypertrophic or proliferative. Despite the vital role of the adrenal gland in the maintenance of homeostasis, the occur-rence of compound-induced adrenal lesions is an uncommonly noted toxicologic event Individuals studying the adrenal and the "stress " syndrome have reported at length upon the vulnerability of this organ (Selye, 1946). In an effort to establish the frequency of adrenal lesions in toxicologic studies we present here a review of the literature plus verification, at times, from our own laboratory of certain reported adrenal changes. Not in-cluded are generalized increases or decreases in cortical size as commonly occur in re-sponses to hormones. Also not included are changes in lipid content related to steroid pro-duction