BEGIN QUOTE Vet Pathol. 2008 Jul;45(4):439-42. Cytochrome b5 Expression in Gonadectomy-induced Adrenocortical Neoplasms of the Domestic Ferret (Mustela putorius furo). Wagner S, Kiupel M, Peterson RA 2nd, Heikinheimo M, Wilson DB. Department of Pediatrics, Box 8208, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110 (USA). Whereas the adrenal glands of healthy ferrets produce only limited amounts of androgenic steroids, adrenocortical neoplasms that arise in neutered ferrets typically secrete androgens or their derivative, estrogen. The 17,20-lyase activity of cytochrome P450 17alpha- hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (P450c17) must increase to permit androgen biosynthesis in neoplastic adrenal tissue. We screened ferret adrenocortical tumor specimens for expression of cytochrome b(5) (cyt b(5)), an allosteric regulator that selectively enhances the 17,20- lyase activity of P450c17. Cyt b(5) immunoreactivity was evident in 24 of 25 (96%) adrenocortical adenomas/carcinomas from ferrets with signs of ectopic sex steroid production. Normal adrenocortical cells lacked cyt b(5), which may account for the low production of adrenal androgens in healthy ferrets. Other markers characteristic of gonadal somatic cells, such as luteinizing hormone receptor, aromatase, and GATA4, were coexpressed with cyt b(5) in some of the tumors. We concluded that cyt b(5) is upregulated during gonadectomy-induced adrenocortical neoplasia and is a marker of androgen synthetic potential in these tumors. PMID: 18587089 END QUOTE http://www.vetpathology.org/cgi/content/full/45/4/439 Adrenal growths begin in response to the body not being able to turn off too much Luteinizing Hormone production and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (which is increased by the same things such as neutering and too much light exposure , or more correctly too few hours of complete darkness -- so now you know why whole ferrets are less likely to get adrenal growths and why you need to provide a lot of hours of complete darkness if possible) also appears to educe bone mass and might contribute to the adrenal growths as well. There is a lot more on this topic in the FHL Archives. (BTW, the light color that is least worrisome is amber; it has the least negative effect on the body's production of its own melatonin. The most worrisome is blue followed by green which is why the green equipment lights which became ubiquitous about 15 years ago would be better replaced by amber lights by manufacturers. When there is too little circulating melatonin the body the amounts of LH and FSH production increase and that is bad. Just remember that enough complete darkness can be the body's friend.) Estrogens and Androgens (like testosterone) are found in both genders, just in different proportions and bodies can turn them back and forth into each other. Multiple tissues can produce such sex hormones including gonads, adrenals, and fat. Each grouping serves a number of functions in the body with dozens known for the androgens and hundreds known for the estrogens. Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html [Posted in FML 6020]