The present paper reports the morphometric analysis of nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) of the adrenal cortex in ovariectomized rats following electroacupuncture (EA) using argyrephil (AgNOR) method for NORs. Animals were divided into four groups

the control group (CT group

n=4)

the EA group (n=3)

the ovariectomized group (OV group

n=4) and the ovariectomized electroacupuncture group

(OV+EA group

n=7). The number of AgNORs of 100 cells from zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex in each case of all groups was counted at random and the mean±SE (number/cell)in each group was calculated as follows: OV+EA group 2. 71±0. 26

OV group 1. 62±0. 15

EA group 1. 21 ± 0. 04 and CT group 1. 48±0. 03. The mean of AgNORs in OV+EA group differed highly significantly from the other three groups (P<0. 01) tested by ANOVA and LSD method

No significant distinction was found among the OV group

EA group and CT group.Gross specimen examination showed that adrenal glands in OV+EA were significantly heavier than those in the other three groups (P<0. 01). Vaginal smears showed that a response like that of estrogen-induced with exfoliative cells appeared in the OV+EA group rats following EA.EA had no influence on the change of exfoliative cells in EA group.The results suggest that EA may promote the synthesis and secretion of the adrenal steroid hormones

the androgen of which will then be transformed into estrogen in other tissues

thus compensating the deficiency of estrogen induced by ovariectomy