Adrenal glands

Anatomy of adrenal glands

• Gross anatomy
▫ Two adrenal glands, situated on upper pole of kidney
(suprarenal gland)
• Histological structure
▫ Adrenal cortex
 Zona glomerulosa – secrete aldosterone and
corticosterone
 Zona fasciculata
 Zona reticularis
▫ Adrenal medulla
 Made up of chromaffin cells
Hormones of adrenal cortex

• Called corticosteroids :
▫ Glucocorticoids
 Cortisol and corticosterone
 Have widespread effect on glucose and protein
metabolism
▫ Mineralocorticoids
 Aldosterone
 Regulates sodium balance and ECF volume in the body
▫ Adrenal sex steroids
 Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulphate ester
• Synthesized by:
▫ Cells forming plasma level:
zona fasciculata -10-25μg%
and zona -average 14μg%
reticularis

Glucocorticoids

Metabolism and
Transport: excretion:
-bound form -degraded in the
-free form liver
-excreted in the
urine and faeces
Actions of glucocorticoids

• Metabolic effect:
▫ Carbohydrate metabolism
 Increased gluconeogenesis
 Decreased utilization
▫ Protein metabolism
 Catabolic effect
 Antianabolic effect
▫ Fat metabolism
 Lipolityc effect
 Lipogenic role
▫ Electrolyte and water metabolism
 Retention of sodium and water
 Promotion of diuresis
 cortisol

-decrease bone formation -facilitates maturation of the

-increase bone resorption fetus

-inhibits inflammary and -modulates emotional tone ,

immune response wakefulness
 Physiological actions on various organs and
systems

kidneys muscle Vascular system

●
Rapid excretion of ●
Maintain
water load. contractility and ●
Sustaining
●
Increase in calcium work performance myocardial
and phosphate of cardiac muscles. performance.
excretion by ●
Decrease in ●
Maintaining
decreasing their muscles mass and normal blood
reabsorption in the stregth is caused by volume.
proximal tubules. excess of cortisol.
Regulations of glucocorticoids

• Regulated by hypothalmic-anterior pituitary-

adrenal cortex axis
mineralocorticiods
aldosterone

●
Chief of mineralocorticoids
●
Synthesized by the zona glomerulosa cells

Deoxycorticosterone (DOC) and 18-hydroxy-

deoxycorticosterone (18-OH-DOC)

●
Secreted in small amaunt and have some mineral-corticoid
activity.
Actions of aldosterone
• Primary actions of aldosterone
▫ Effects on renal tubules
 Sodium reabsorption from the tubular fluid into renal tubular
epithelial cells
 Potassium excretion
▫ Effects on sweat glands and salivary glands
 Decrease the loss of Naᶧ and Cl⁻ in sweat and salivary secretion
▫ Effects on colon
 Stimulate sodium reabsorption from the colon
 Enhancing potassium excretion in the faeces
• Secondary action of aldosterone
▫ Hypokalaemia
▫ Hypernatraemia
 Regulation of aldosterone secretion
-renin-angiotension system
Decrease in ECF Decrease in renal
perfusion pressure causes
volume leads to
the juxtaglomerular cells
decrease in renal blood of the afferent arterioles to
flow and pressure secrete renin

Renin catalyzes the

conversion of
angiotensinogen to
angiotensin I

Angiotensin I is converted into Angiotensin II binds to specific

angiotensin II by the action of plasma membrane receptors
angiotensin converting present on adrenal zona
enzyme (ACE) present in the glomerulosa cells and increase
endothelium of bv (lungs) the secretion of aldosterone
Adrenal sex steroids
• Include:
▫ Dehydropiandrosterone (DHEA)
▫ Oestrogen and progesterone in small amaunt
• Synthesis
▫ By zona reticularis
• Contribution AG towards sex steriods
▫ Fetal life
 DHEA acts as precursor for synthesis of oestrogen by placenta
▫ In adult woman
 Increase muscle mass, growth of pubic and axillary hair and libido
▫ In adult man
 Adrenal androgen precursors has little biological important
 Partly responsible for development of male sex organ in childhood.
Hormones of adrenal medulla
• Secretes catecholamines:
▫ Epinephrine
▫ Norepinephrine
▫ Dopamine
• Synthesis
▫ In different cells from L-tyrosin