ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF EARLY EFFECTS OF CORTISOL ON LIVER CELL OF ADRENALECTOMIZED RAT

The effects of inducing levels of cortisol upon the liver cell as measured by electron microscopy are similar 15, 45 or 240 min after hormone administration. Observations at the later times are more pronounced than at 15 min. These effects compared to untreated or saline injected controls involve abrupt and marked changes in the endoplasmic reticulum and no observable changes in the mitochondria or nuclei. The changes in the endoplasmic reticulum involve conversion of much of the long parallel arrays of rough endoplasmic reticulum to vesiculated smooth endoplasmic reticulum with concurrent removal of ribosomes from the rough endoplasmic reticulum to cytoplasmic spaces. These changes appear to be connected with the early action of the hormone and point to control of enzyme synthesis at the translational level. © 1968.