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Changes in mouse sudomotor function and sweat gland innervation with ageing
Jorge J Vilches1, Dolores Ceballos, Enrique Verdú
1Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
Autonomic Neuroscience : Basic & Clinical
|March 2, 2002
Summary
Sweating function declines in aging mice primarily due to reduced sweat output per gland and, to a lesser extent, fewer active sweat glands. Age-related changes also impact sweat gland size and innervation.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Sudomotor function, essential for thermoregulation, undergoes age-related changes.
- Understanding these changes in animal models is crucial for human health insights.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related alterations in mouse sudomotor neuroeffector function.
- To quantify changes in sweat gland activity, innervation, and output across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated sudomotor function in mice aged 2, 6, 12, and 18 months using pilocarpine stimulation and impression mould technique.
- Assessed sweat gland innervation using immunohistochemistry for Protein Gene Product 9.5 (PGP) and Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP).
Main Results:
- Old mice (18 months) exhibited a significant 44% decrease in sweat output per gland compared to younger mice.
- A slight, non-significant decline (17%) in the number of secreting sweat glands was observed in old mice.
- Sudomotor innervation significantly decreased by 35% in old mice compared to adult mice (6 months).
Conclusions:
- Sweating reduction in aged mice is primarily attributed to diminished sweat output per gland and secondarily to a reduced number of secreting glands.
- Age-related decline in sudomotor function may also be linked to sweat gland atrophy and loss of innervation.