Melander A, Ljunggren J G, Norberg K A, Persson B, Rosengren E, Sundler F, Tibblin S, Westgren U
J Endocrinol Invest. 1978 Apr;1(2):175-7. doi: 10.1007/BF03350368.
In man, as well as in the mouse, there is morphologic and functional evidence for a direct, stimulatory influence of the sympathetic nervous system on the secretion of thyroid hormone by noradrenaline (NA), released from interfollicular adrenergic nerve terminals. In mice and rats, an age-related reduction of the sympathetic innervation of the thyoid has recently been observed. In the present study, possible age-related variations of the sympathetic innervation and the concentration of NA in human thyroid tissue were examined. Interfollicular adrenergic nerve terminals were studied by fluorescence histochemistry, and the tissue concentration of NA was measured by fluorometry. In apparently normal thyroid tissue, obtained from fetuses, young (20-45), and elderly (greater than 60) euthyroid people with thyroid cancer or hyperparathyroidism, the number of interfollicular adrenergic nerve terminals appeared to be reduced with increasing age, and the thyroid tissue concentration of NA was significantly lower in elderly than in young people. These findings may have functional importance.
在人类以及小鼠中，有形态学和功能学证据表明，交感神经系统通过从滤泡间肾上腺素能神经末梢释放的去甲肾上腺素（NA），对甲状腺激素的分泌产生直接的刺激作用。最近在小鼠和大鼠中观察到甲状腺交感神经支配随年龄增长而减少。在本研究中，研究了人类甲状腺组织中交感神经支配和NA浓度可能存在的与年龄相关的变化。通过荧光组织化学研究滤泡间肾上腺素能神经末梢，并通过荧光测定法测量组织中NA的浓度。在从患有甲状腺癌或甲状旁腺功能亢进的胎儿、年轻（20 - 45岁）和老年（大于60岁）甲状腺功能正常的人群中获取的看似正常的甲状腺组织中，滤泡间肾上腺素能神经末梢的数量似乎随着年龄的增长而减少，并且老年人甲状腺组织中NA的浓度显著低于年轻人。这些发现可能具有功能重要性。
