title: Development of the human adrenal zona reticularis: morphometric and immunohistochemical studies from birth to adolescence.
abstract: Age-related morphologic development of human adrenal zona reticularis (ZR) has not been well examined. Therefore, in this study, 44 human young adrenal autopsy specimens retrieved from large archival files (n=252) were examined for immunohistochemical and morphometric analyses. Results demonstrated that ZR became discernible around 4 years of age, and both thickness and ratio per total cortex of ZR increased in an age-dependent fashion thereafter, although there was no significant increment in total thickness of developing adrenal cortex. We further evaluated immunoreactivity of both KI67 and BCL2 in order to clarify the equilibrium between cell proliferation and apoptosis in the homeostasis of developing human adrenals. Results demonstrated that proliferative adrenocortical cells were predominantly detected in the zona glomerulosa and partly in outer zona fasciculata (ZF) before 4 years of age and in ZR after 4 years of age, but the number of these cells markedly decreased around 20 years of age. The number of BCL2-positive cells increased in ZR and decreased in ZF during development. Adrenal androgen synthesizing type 5 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD17B5 or AKR1C3 as listed in the Hugo Database) was almost confined to ZR of human adrenals throughout development. HSD17B5 immunoreactivity in ZR became discernible and increased from around 9 years of age. Results of our present study support the theory of age-dependent adrenocortical cell migration and also indicated that ZR development is not only associated with adrenarche, but may play important roles in an initiation of puberty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Xiao-Gang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Jun-ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akahira
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nio
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Rainey
authors.forename: Hironobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasano
mesh_terms: D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000032:analysis; D000293:Adolescent; D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000328:Adult; D000074425:Aldo-Keto Reductase Family 1 Member C3; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006911:Hydroxyprostaglandin Dehydrogenases / Q000032:analysis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D015385:Zona Reticularis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D006911:Hydroxyprostaglandin Dehydrogenases; C487341:AKR1C3 protein, human; D000074425:Aldo-Keto Reductase Family 1 Member C3