Investigations on the turnover of adrenocortical mitochondria. IX. A stereological study of the effects of chronic treatment with acth on the size and number of mitochondria from adult human adrenocortical cells cultured in vitro.

The effects of ACTH on the mitochondria of adult human adrenocortical cells cultured in vitro were investigated by electron microscopic and stereological methods. It was found that ACTH induces increase in the volume of the mitochondrial compartment, which is due to both a hypertrophy and an increase in number of the organelles. The hypothesis that ACTH controls the growth and proliferation of human adrenocortical mitochondria is discussed.