Study of the gonadectomy effects and chronic administration of testosterone on adrenal gland in male rabbits

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of gonadectomy and chronic administration of testosterone propionate on histomorphometric structure of adrenal gland in male rabbits. Fifteen adult male rabbits were divided into control group (SO), orchidectomized group (Orx) and orchidectomized group treated with testosterone propionate (Orx- TP). Results showed that gonadectomy has no effect on the morphology and cellular arrangement of zona glomerulosa whereas the cells of the zona reticularis and zona fasciculata appear more voluminous and larger in the Orx group in comparison with the SO group. Gonadectomy resulted in a significant increase in absolute adrenal volume (P<0.05). If compared with SO group, only the increase in the volume of the zona fasciculata and zona reticularis was statistically significant (P<0.05). The mean volume of cells and their nuclei of Orx group, were higher than those in the SO group, but only the differences in zona reticularis and zona fasciculate were statistically significant (p<0.05). In all three regions, the number of cells and their distribution percentage of Orx group were not significantly different from those of SO group (P>0.05). Chronic TP treatment of Orx rabbits reversed these changes to the preorchidectomy state, so that none of the morphometric values of the Orx -TP group showed statistically significant differences in comparison with the SO group (P>0.05).