title: Age and organ difference in amount and distribution of autofluorescent granules in rats.
abstract: The amount and distribution of autofluorescent granules in various organs and tissues of rats of different ages (2-, 11-, and 29.5-month-old) were compared by morphometrical analysis. The age-related increase of the granules was observed in the cardiac muscle and hepatic cells, but the amount of granules was little even in 29.5-month-old rats. In some other organs, the granules appeared early, at 2 months of age, increased up to 11 months, but thereafter no significant increase was observed. The autofluorescent granules are not merely considered to be an age-related pigment, but seems to be influenced by relationship to the cell metabolism and other functions.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007668:Kidney / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008062:Lipofuscin / Q000032:analysis*; D008099:Liver / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008168:Lung / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009206:Myocardium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000032:analysis*; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013737:Testis / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D008062:Lipofuscin; D010860:Pigments, Biological