[Blood vessels in human dermis during aging]

A factor that potentially influences on skin aging is blood supply which determines global conditions for an organ or a tissue functioning, including skin. Scientific data on conditions of blood supply in the skin during aging are insufficient and contradictory. Therefore, this work was aimed to the study of age-related changes in the number of blood vessels in the human dermis. Blood vessels were visualized with immunohistochemical technique to two endothelial markers, as von Willebrand factor and antigen CD31. The results showed that von Willebrand factor and antigen CD31 are present in endothelial cells of blood vessels of dermis in all examined age periods, from 20 weeks of pregnancy to 85 yeas. Intensity of immunohistochemical staining to von Willebrand factor is enhanced during age. Intensity of staining to CD31 is not changed with age. The number of blood vessels positively stained either to von Willebrand factor or to CD31 in dermis was decreased gradually with age. A total number of fibroblasts in dermis decreased with age. The number of PCNA+ fibroblasts in dermis showing their proliferative activity was decreased with the progression of age. The decrease in the number of blood vessels is statistically associated with that in the general number of fibroblasts and proliferating fibroblasts. Hence, a factor that leads to aged decrease in the number of dermal fibroblasts is diminished blood supply, and actions targeted to enhancement of blood supply are to be in the basis of clinical approaches to prophylaxis and treatment aging changes of the skin.