title: Populations of follicles in F344/N rats during aging.
abstract: Follicular populations were investigated in female F344/N rats to better understand the aging process of the rat ovary. Ovaries dissected at various ages (spanning 1-36 months old) were submitted for histological examination. The total number of primordial, growing (primary and secondary), tertiary, and atretic follicles as well as corpora lutea (CL) were counted in hematoxylin-eosin- and azocarmine-aniline-blue-stained ovarian sections. The number of healthy follicles including primordial, growing and tertiary follicles decreased rapidly between the first and third months and gradually thereafter. CL were found in 3-month-old rats, and their number remained unchanged until 18 months of age, at which point it decreased. The number of atretic follicles started to increase in rats older than 18 months, which corresponded to the cessation of estrous cyclicity. Several healthy follicles and CL were observed even in 36-month-old rats.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Resources and Development, Analysis Research Center for Experimental Sciences, Saga University, Saga 849-8501, Japan. kanish@cc.saga-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishijima
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Shinsuke H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Sachi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuwahara
authors.forename: Tamio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitajima
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000814:Aniline Compounds; D000818:Animals; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000166:cytology*; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS); D005260:Female; D006416:Hematoxylin; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology*; D010619:Phenazines; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344 / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D010619:Phenazines; C025171:azocarmine G; C017006:aniline blue; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS); D006416:Hematoxylin