title: The effect of aging on epidermal mass in Balb/c female mice.
abstract: Epidermal mass of the skin of Balb/c female mice of 2, 6, 12, and 20 months of age was determined by measuring epidermal wet weight, RNA, DNA, and protein per unit area (100 cm2) of skin. Epidermal wet weight is significantly decreased in 20-month-old mice compared to 2-month-old mice. This represents a real decrease in epidermal mass, because associated with the decrease in epidermal wet weight there is a significant decrease in protein and RNA per 100 cm2 of epidermis. DNA per 100 cm2 of epidermis is not significantly reduced, and the total number of epidermal nuclei per mm of interfollicular epidermis is only slightly reduced, the latter due entirely to a decrease in the number of basal cells per mm of interfollicular epidermis. It appears that aging results in a decrease in epidermal mass in Balb/c female mice, and that this decrease is probably primarily due to a decrease in epidermal cell size.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004817:Epidermis / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008940:Mitotic Index; D009929:Organ Size; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA