Characteristics of uterine aging.
Uterine aging is in part responsible for a decline in fecundity which begins in middle age in most mammals. Characteristics of uteri from a variety of animals in middle age and old age are reviewed and the factors which may be responsible for this decline discussed. These include age-related changes in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovaries; loss of number or function of steroid hormone receptors; morphological changes in the uterine epithelium; the accumulation of collagen fibrils in the uterine stroma; and loss or impairment of the decidual response. The ultrastructural morphology of uterine epithelial, stromal, and decidual tissue from 4 month old and 18 month old Fischer 344 rats is presented and compared.
Mulholland
J
J
Department of Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030.
Jones
C J
CJ
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D014599:Uterus / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D003094:Collagen