Degenerative changes in the histology of the human submandibular salivary gland occurring with age.

A histological investigation was made of 96 human submandibular salivary glands, obtained at necropsy and evenly representative of sex and adult age to 95 years. Age-dependent atrophy was observed in both acinar and ductal epithelia. With increasing age structural changes were also found in fibrous and elastic tissues as well as in the walls of arteries and veins. Ischaemia due to partial occlusion of arteries may be one reason for the age-dependent atrophy of parenchyma. The deteriorative changes developing with age in arterial walls and in acinar and ductal epithelia probably both contribute to the reduced functional efficiency of salivary glands which is known to occur in senescence.