[Intensity of internucleosome DNA fragmentation in tissues of the adrenal glands in patients with hormonally inactive tumours].

Internucleosomal fragmentation of DNA that was isolated from the extratumour tissue of patients with hormonally active and inactive tumors, the tissues of hormonally active and inactive tumors, and also the hyperplastic adrenal tissue in patients with Itsenko-Cushing disease was studied in agarose gel using the method of electrophoresis. It has been established that the intensity of DNA fragmentation in hormonally inactive tumours did not differ from the tissue that was surrounding such tumours, and only a decrease in the mononucleosome level was revealed. The increased level of oligonucleosomas with the size of 200-800 p. o. owing to the high content of tri- and tetraoligonucleosomas was noted in the extratumour tissue of patients with hormonally active tumours, the hyperplastic tissue and in the tissue of aldosteromas, corticosteromas, and pheochromocytomas. Data obtained evidenced for the stimulating effect of the adrenal complex hormones and the adrenal meduliar layer on apoptotic processes both in the cells of extratumor adrenal tissue and in the tumor cells secreting hormonal abundance.