[Functional morphology of the adrenal cortex and incretory kidney structures in the salt-losing form of adrenogenital syndrome in children].

The adrenals and kidney incretory structures (the juxtaglomerular apparatuses and renomedullary interstitial cells) were studied in 12 cases of a desalinization form of the adrenogenital syndrome in children who died at the age of 1-6 mos of acute water-electrolytic disturbances in order to assess function of the structures involved in the regulation of the water-salt equilibrium. The adrenals and kidneys from 7 children of the same age who died of mechanical asphyxia, were taken as controls. The depth of adrenocortical zones, volumes of nuclei and nucleoli in different cortical zones were determined; the juxtaglomerular index, cell count (including vacuolized cells), the area of the juxtaglomerular apparatus and mesangium were determined in the juxtaglomerular apparatus. The amount of cell lipid granules (the interstitial-cellular index), the mean granule volume and the total granule volume were counted in renomedullary interstitial cells. The results were statistically processed, and a paired correlation analysis of all the studied parameters was performed. In the desalinization form of the adrenogenital syndrome morphometric investigation of the glomerular and fascicular zones revealed compensatory processes, not of hyperplastic nature but mainly of hypertrophic nature; morphological and morphometric characteristics of the kidney incretory structures indicated tension of the renin-angiotensin system and probably a decrease in prostaglandin synthesis in salt and water loss. In the control group parameters of structures related to the regulation of the water-salt equilibrium, especially in the adrenal cortex, showed good correlation. In the desalinization form of the adrenogenital syndrome some other relationships between these structures developed.