Catecholamine Metabolism Induces Mitochondrial DNA Deletions and Leads to Severe Adrenal Degeneration during Aging.

Background: Aging is a multifactorial process characterized by organ loss of function and degeneration, but the mechanisms involved remain elusive. We have shown recently that catecholamine metabolism drives the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions in dopaminergic cells, which likely contribute to their degeneration during aging. Here we investigated whether the well-documented degeneration and altered function of adrenals during aging is linked to catecholamine production in the medulla followed by accumulation of mtDNA deletions.