Time- and Gender-Dependent Alterations in Mice during the Aging Process

Abstract

Compared to young people and adults, there are differences in the ability of elderly people to resist diseases or injuries, with some noticeable features being gender-dependent. However, gender differences in age-related viscera alterations are not clear. To evaluate a potential possibility of gender differences during the natural aging process, we used three age groups to investigate the impact on spleens, kidneys, and adrenal glands. The immunofluorescence results showed that male-specific p21 proteins were concentrated in the renal tubule epithelial cells of the kidney. Histological staining revealed an increase in the frequencies of fat vacuoles located in the renal tubule epithelial cells of the cortex, under the renal capsule in the kidneys of male mice with age. In female mice, we found that the width of the globular zone in the adrenal gland cortex was unchanged with age. On the contrary, the male displayed a reduction in width. Compared to females, the content of epinephrine in adrenal gland tissue according to ELISA analysis was higher in adults, and a greater decline was observed in aged males particularly. These data confirmed the age-dependent differences between female and male mice; therefore, gender should be considered one of the major factors for personalized treatment in clinical diagnosis and treatment.