Modification of Catecholamine Secretion from Chromaffin Cells of the Adrenal Medulla by Ethanol and Lighting in an Experiment

Abstract

In alcoholic disease, ethanol and its metabolites, in particular, acetaldehyde, primarily damage the liver as well as the nervous and cardiovascular systems. At the same time, recent decades have seen an increase in the incidence of acute adrenal insufficiency (haemorrhagic adrenalitis) in people suffering from alcoholism, especially during stressful situations, including injuries, surgical interventions and infectious complications. The purpose of this article was to study the structural and functional features of the modification of catecholamine secretion from chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla under the influence of ethanol and lighting in the experiment. Materials and methods. The research was conducted on 90 male Wistar rats aged 6 months. The animals were divided into three equal groups: control (general diet and traditional lighting) and two experimental groups who received a 15 % solution of ethanol as a drink and were either under traditional day/night lighting (group 1) or under constant lighting (group 2). Chromaffin cells were studied morphologically, including ultrastructural analysis, and morphometrically. Catecholamine content was determined by competitive immunoassay. Results. The use of ethanol solution weakened the heterogeneity of chromaffin cell populations and launched a modification of catecholamine secretion, which was manifested in damaged structure and organization of secretory compartments. In combination with constant lighting, ethanol caused the loss of heterogeneity by chromaffin cells and retardation of exocytosis, launched and facilitated micro-apocrine secretion, which is, essentially, the release of the contents of secretory granules directly into the cytoplasm, accompanied by an imbalance in epinephrine and norepinephrine levels in the blood.