Age-related changes in the inner zone of the adrenal cortex of the rat--a morphologic and biochemical study

In this work, a correlative morphologic and biochemical study on the effects of ageing on the rat adrenal Inner Zone (IZ) was made. Male Wistar rats were studied at 2, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Structural data of Zona Fasciculata (ZF) showed age-related increase in cell volume (P < 0.05), decrease in mitochondria (P < 0.01) and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) volumes, and increase in lipid droplets (P < 0.01) and lipofuscin granules (P < 0.01) volumes. In Zona Reticularis, the main change observed was the increase in lipofuscin granules (P < 0.001). Serum corticosterone from unstimulated rats increased until 12 months but decreased thereafter (P < 0.01), to levels below those from 2-month-old rats. Similarly, plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) presented a maximum at 12 months, followed by a decrease to levels higher than at 2 months (P < 0.05). In rats injected either with only ACTH or dexamethasone, before ACTH stimulation, corticosterone level had a maximum at 12 months. In aged rats, serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) and adrenal cholesterol ester increased significantly (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively), whereas adrenal corticosterone decreased. Products of lipid peroxidation, assayed with the thiobarbituric acid reaction and fluorimetry showed an age-related increase (P < 0.05). The age-related decrease in mitochondria and SER volumes is consistent with the decrease of serum corticosterone. The increase in lipid droplet and HDL and the reduction of adrenal corticosterone level correlate with the increase of adrenal cholesterol ester content. These suggest a continued uptake of steroid precursor but a reduced steroid synthesis. On the whole, the data provide evidence for an age-related reduced functional ability of IZ and particularly of ZF.