Autometallographic demonstration of gold in the adrenal gland of rats exposed to sodium aurothiomalate

The presence of gold was investigated in sections of the adrenal glands from rats which had been exposed to intraperitoneal sodium aurothiomalate (32 to 120 mg). Gold was histochemically detected in cortical endocrine cells, chromaffin cells and in fibroblasts and macrophages of both the cortex and medulla. Invisible traces of gold were silver enhanced by autometallography making them readily visible at both the light and electron microscopic levels. The intracellular staining intensity was dose-dependent. In general, the number as well as the staining intensity of individual cells, were highest in the zona glomerulosa and zona reticularis. In gold-containing cells the silver-amplified deposits were present in lysosomes.