Effects of 3-acetylpyridine on the adrenal medulla of the mouse.

In the present work, the effects of 3-acetylpyridine (3-AP) on the adrenal medulla were investigated for biochemical and morphological changes. Adrenaline- and noradrenaline-storing cells treated with 3-AP one day previously had lost almost all their granules. A large number of lipoid droplets appeared in the cytoplasm. At the same time, the concentrations of adrenaline and noradrenaline cells were significantly decreased below control values (P less than 0.01). However, these significant changes were ameliorated 19 days after 3-AP treatment. Morphologically and biochemically, the adrenaline- and noradrenaline-storing cells had recovered completely at 35 days.