title: Histopathological changes of the hypophysis in malnutrition in elderly subjects.
abstract: Major objectives in forensic gerontology are physical and mental disorders during aging, which can be caused by various factors involving nutrition and stress, often accompanied by dysfunction in the neuroendocrine systems including the hypophysis. The objective of the present study was to investigate the histopathological changes in the adenohypophysis in elderly subjects using autopsy materials. Hypophyses with a scaphoid shape (group S: 16 males and 4 females; mean age, 78.6 years) and a normal one (group C: 30 males and 20 females; mean age, 65.2 years) were compared. Incidence of the scaphoid-shaped hypophysis mildly increased with age, being 17% in the elderly over 65 years of age. The weight of the pituitary gland in group S (0.42 +/- 0.1 g) was lower than that of group C (0.65 +/- 0.2 g). The degree of fibrosis was higher in group S (31.6% +/- 5.4%) than in group C (18.3% +/- 6.3%). Immunohistochemical staining showed no significant differences in the proportion of the ACTH cells and the TSH cells between the two groups (p > 0.05). However, there was an increase in the proportion of gonadotrophs, prolactin cells, and S-100-containing cells in group S and a decrease in that of GH cells (p < 0.05). These findings may be associated with reduced anabolic, gonadal and hepatic functions due to malnutrition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahi-machi 1-4-3, Abeno, Osaka 545-8558, Japan. takaki@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Bao-Li
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyaishi
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishizu
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D052681:Gonadotrophs; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D052682:Lactotrophs; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009418:S100 Proteins; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D013972:Thyrotropin