Morphometric analysis of skin in ovariectomized mice of different ages

Abstract

It is known that a deficiency of estrogens of any origin (physiological menopause, surgical removal of the ovaries, etc.) accelerates the aging processes of both the body in general and the skin in particular in women. Studies of the morphometric properties of skin caused by estrogen-deficient states may help in the development of more effective regenerative medicine approaches aimed at treating and preventing age-related skin changes. The purpose of the study is to determine the morphological changes in the skin of young and old SBA/Сa mice with estrogen deficiency on the ovariectomy model. Materials and methods. Skin samples from young (4 months) and old (16 months) mice two months after ovariectomy were compared with age-matched sham-operated mice. The thickness of the epidermis and dermis, the number of hair follicles, and sebaceous glands were determined on histological samples of the skin. Results and discussion. It was shown that the thickness of the epidermis was significantly smaller both in the group of young and in the group of old ovariectomized mice compared to the thickness of the epidermis of the control group of animals of the corresponding age. A significant increase in the thickness of the dermis was found in the group of young ovariectomized mice in comparison with the thickness of the dermis in the young control group, however, in the group of old ovariectomized mice, the thickness of the dermis did not differ significantly compared to the age-matched control group. No significant differences were found in the number of sebaceous glands and hair follicles in the studied groups. Conclusions. Ovariectomy, as a model of artificial estrogen deficiency, is accompanied by significant changes in the epidermis in young and old animals and the dermis in young ovariectomized animals, without affecting the number of sebaceous glands and hair follicles.