CHANGES IN THE HISTOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF RAT ADRENAL GLANDS EXPOSED TO PREDNISOLONE AND ITS COMBINATION WITH VITAMIN D

The combined effects of prednisolone and vitamin D on the rat adrenal histological structure was studied. The animals were administered with 5 mg/kg of either saline, or prednisolone intragastrically, daily over 3 weeks, or prednisolone in combination with vitamin D (at a dose of 800 IU/kg). The adrenals were fixed in a mixture of formalin-ethanol-acetic acid, embedded in paraffin and serial sections were made which were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. It was found that although vitamin D was beneficial for normalization of proliferation and apoptosis of adrenal cortical cells changed under the exposure to prednisolone, it did not contribute to recovering of the gland size. Vitamin D in combination with prednisolone contributed to storing of lipofuscin in the reticular layer of the adrenal cortex. 

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