Effect of temperature during preparation of rat adrenal quarters and isolated cell suspension of their ACTH responsiveness.

The effect of temperature during preparation of rat adrenal quarters or isolated adrenal cell suspension on their response to ACTH was examined through a comparison of amounts of corticosterone produced after their incubation. The response to ACTH added in vitro was considerably higher when adrenal quarters and isolated adrenal cell suspension were prepared at room temperature (25 degree C) than when prepared at ice-cold. Endogenous steroidogenesis was not affected by the temperature. It seemed unlikely that this higher response to ACTH of adrenal quarters or isolated adrenal cell suspension prepared at room temperature was due to an activation of the cells. A possibility was discussed that cooling adrenal quarters or isolated adrenal cell suspension during the preparation may create an unphysiological state in some place to related the cell membrane.