Is reduced cell size the mechanism for shrinkage of the adrenal zona reticularis in aging?
In aging humans, corticosteroid production is preserved, or even increased, but there is an unexplained reduction in adrenal androgen secretion that likely has significant health implications. Preliminary analyses on adrenocortical morphology have revealed an age-associated reduction in the thickness of the zona reticularis (ZR), the cortical zone responsible for the majority of DHEA/DHEA sulfate production in the adult human, but no change in the overall thickness of the adrenal cortex. The ZR width could decrease in aging due to loss of ZR cells and/or to shrinkage of ZR cells. In the current study, we investigated whether there was a relation between thickness of the zona reticularis in young and old humans and the cell density in this zone. Paraffin-embedded sections of the adrenal cortex of 10 young (21-35 yr old) and 10 old (54-89 yr old) adults who had died suddenly as the result of trauma were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. These specimens were chosen from a larger cohort
