Adrenal cortex disorders in a new model of obesity, Gerbillus gerbillus, exposed to a high carbohydrate diet.

Obesity is associated with several endocrine disorders, including hypersensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a high carbohydrate diet on structural and ultrastructural features of steroidogenic tissue, as well to evaluate adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, and insulin levels in the blood and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) expression in the adrenals of gerbils. In electron microscopy, the most pronounced effect of the hypercaloric diet was observed in the zona fasciculata.