The effect of age on mitochondrial ultrastructure.
The ultrastructure of perfused livers and of mitochondrial fractions from 6-month-old and 30-month-old C57/BL mice were studied. In old mice the liver cell mitochondria were enlarged and rounded with a light 'foamy', vacuolated matrix, short cristae and a loss of dense granules. Quantitative studies showed a 60% increase in the mean size and an increased proportion of larger mitochondria in intact 30-month-old perfused livers. Endothelial and Kupffer cell mitochondria were smaller than those of the parenchymal cells. Mitochondria in pellets prepared from 6- and 30-month-old livers were rounded and condensed, although there were a few larger and 'foamy' mitochondria in the preparations from old mice. Up to 47% of large mitochondria in the old livers were lost during cell fractionation.
D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D007728:Kupffer Cells; D008099:Liver / Q000254:growth & development; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000648:ultrastructure*