Accelerated Senescent Changes in Adrenal Cortex of the Hamster

Abstract

The adrenal cortex of the golden hamster shows a progressive pattern of change with advancing age (1). Such changes are not uncommon, having been reported also in the rat (2-4) and mouse (5). The hamster exhibits gradual alterations including (1) the development of hyperplastic nodules, either subcapsular or supracapsular, (2) deposition of the so-called wear and tear pigment, lipofuscin, (3) increase in the thickness of both the cortical and medullary capsules, (4) infiltration by connective tissues in the cortex proper, (5) both intercellular and intracellular vacuolation, and (6) increased vascularity (1). Both the rat and the mouse show a similar, although nonidentical, pattern of aging. In a study of whole-body X-irradiation in the age-simulation of reproductive function in the female hamster, not only has it been found that the physiological picture resembles that seen in normal senescence, but histological examination of the reproductive organs reveals a comparable alteration (6). In view of this, the adrenal cortex, which has been shown to give a typical aging response in specific organisms, was picked to investigate further this aging mimicry. Hamsters lend themselves well to this type of study because of their short life span. Also in this experiment the female animals showed a typical senescent reproductive syndrome-that is, anestrus in most animals or, if they were still cycling, small litters, lengthening gestation, and increased resorption (7).