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Ageing of the human hypothalamus
1Graduate School Neurosciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Amsterdam.
Hormone Research
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Aging alters hypothalamic nuclei, affecting biological rhythms and hormones. Vasopressin neuron numbers decrease in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) with age, while CRH neurons in the PVN activate.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- The hypothalamus regulates critical functions like biological rhythms, hormones, and behavior.
- Aging impacts various hypothalamic nuclei differently, influencing these functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related changes in specific hypothalamic nuclei.
- To understand the implications of these changes for physiological and behavioral functions.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of cell number and neuronal activity in key hypothalamic nuclei across different age groups.
- Examination of specific neuronal markers such as vasopressin (AVP), corticotropin-releasing-hormone (CRH), and neurokinin-B (NKB).
Main Results:
- Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN): Decreased AVP-expressing neurons and circadian variation with age.
- Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus (SDN): Reduced cell numbers in both sexes during aging, with established sexual dimorphism.
- Paraventricular Nucleus (PVN): Increased CRH neurons and AVP coexpression, indicating activation.
- Infudibular Nucleus (Subventricular): Hypertrophic NKB neurons in postmenopausal women, potentially linked to menopausal flushes.
Conclusions:
- Hypothalamic nuclei exhibit diverse aging patterns, contributing to functional decline.
- Specific nuclei like the SCN and SDN show age-related neuron loss, impacting rhythms and sexual dimorphism.
- PVN activation and changes in the infundibular nucleus suggest altered stress and reproductive hormone regulation in aging.