Sorbic and Benzoic Acids Affect Adrenal Morphology Under Chronic Stress in Male Rats

Background: Chronic stress significantly impacts endocrine function, especially in the adrenal glands, which produce hormones essential for stress adaptation. Food preservatives such as sorbic and benzoic acids are widely used in the food industry, yet their long-term effects on the endocrine system under stressful conditions remain poorly understood. This study aimed to determine whether combined chronic stress and high-dose preservatives induce more pronounced structural changes in the adrenal glands of male rats than either factor alone. Results: Over 28 days, four groups of male rats were examined: control, chronic stress, high-dose preservatives (sorbic acid at 500 mg/kg and benzoic acid at 100 mg/kg), and a combined stress-plus-preservatives group. Histological and morphometric assessments revealed significant alterations in nuclear area, perimeter, and cell density across the zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata, and zona reticularis. Chronic stress alone increased nuclear area in the glomerulosa and fasciculata zones but decreased nuclear dimensions in the reticular zone. Preservative exposure exerted a comparable pattern of morphological changes, and their co-exposure with stress produced the most pronounced disruptions. Notably, the fasciculata and reticular zones showed concurrent destructive changes and compensatory hyperplasia. Conclusions: These findings highlight a potential risk of additive or synergistic disruption to adrenal morphology when psychological stress converges with excessive preservative intake. Further research is warranted to clarify the underlying mechanisms and long-term implications, including hormonal profiling and evaluation of steroidogenic enzyme expression and apoptosis markers.