HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by COWAN, J. S. Articles by POZNANSKI, W. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by COWAN, J. S. Articles by POZNANSKI, W. J.

Departments of Physiology and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada, KIN 9A9

(Received 21 September 1976)

In addition to the in-vivo studies on the feedback regulation of the hypothalamic-hypophysial-adrenal axis it is possible to study adrenal cells in isolation to determine to what extent they may be conditioned by certain regulatory defects. This became possible after the development of methods for preparing and maintaining viable suspensions of rat adrenal cells (Swallow & Sayers, 1969). After using a rat adrenal cell suspension method as a sensitive corticotrophin (ACTH) bioassay in this laboratory (Cowan, Davis & Layberry, 1974), the technique has been adapted to study the response of human adrenal cells to ACTH. In this work, the secretory characteristics of cells of the adrenal cortex from four female patients have been determined.

Patient 1 was aged 19, with Cushing's syndrome and pronounced virilization. Plasma cortisol levels before adrenalectomy were