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Groups of male rats were exposed to 100% oxygen at 380 mm. Hg pressure and to normal atmosphere at ground level. They were sacrificed at 2-week intervals throughout the exposure period. Biochemical studies showed a pituitary adrenal response after 1 week of exposure to 100% oxygen at 380 mm. Hg pressure, returning toward control level after 3 weeks. Noise stress experienced by some of the animals after 7 weeks of exposure to 100% oxygen resulted in a marked rise in plasma corticoids. In animals exposed for 1 week, no alteration of ultrastructure was seen in the pituitary and only minimal alteration was seen in the adrenals. Pituitaries of the experimental rats exposed for 5 weeks showed no ultrastructural evidence of change. Adrenal cortical cells from these animals showed an increase in dense lipid and mitochondrial change at 1, 3, and 5 weeks of exposure. Pituitaries of rats stressed after 7 weeks of exposure showed ultrastructural evidence of secretory release from increased number of adrenal corticotrophic cells with a cytologic change in the fasciculata cells of the adrenal glands. (Author)

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