Ultrastructural and biochemical aspects of liver mitochondria during recovery from ethanol-induced alterations. Experimental evidence of mitochondrial division.
To study the morphologic and biochemical changes occuring in liver mitochondria during recovery from ethanol-induced injury, rats fed a 6-month high-alcohol regimen plus a nutritionally adequate diet which did not induce fatty liver were compared with isocalorically fed controls. After this period the alcohol-fed animals displayed striking ultrastructural changes of liver mitochondria and a decreased respiratory activity with succinate or malate-glutamate as substrate. On the contrary, the respiratory rate with I-glycerophosphate was 50% increased. Regression changes were studied after alcohol was withdrawn from the diet. Enlarged mitochondria rapidly disappeared (in 24 hours), although a few megamitochondria were still present after 8 days of abstinence. A similar recovery was observed for the functional alterations. At the end of the experimental period, only a slight decrease of the maximal respiratory rate using malate-glutamate as a substrate was noted. The ultrastructural findings and the morphometric data suggest that the way in which mitochondrial normalization takes place is based on partition of these organelles.
D000818:Animals; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism; D005994:Glycerophosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008293:Malates / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D051381:Rats; D013386:Succinates / Q000378:metabolism
D005971:Glutamates; D005994:Glycerophosphates; D008293:Malates; D013386:Succinates