Fetal adrenal glands crucial for pregnant rats' corticosterone levels post-surgery.
The study found that when pregnant rats had their adrenal glands removed, their corticosterone levels dropped but returned to normal after 2 hours. However, when the fetuses were given a specific inhibitor, corticosterone levels stayed low for longer periods. This suggests that the fetal adrenal glands are responsible for producing corticosterone in pregnant rats without adrenal glands.