title: Structure of cristae in cardiac mitochondria of aged rat.
abstract: Interfibrillar mitochondria (IFM) of the heart in aged Fischer 344 rats show a biochemical defect which might be reflected in their morphology. We examined by high resolution scanning electron microscopy over 5500 mitochondria to determine if a concomitant structural alteration existed. This methodology provides a means of examining mitochondrial cristae in three dimensions. Cristae of in situ subsarcolemmal mitochondria (SSM) and of IFM in both 6- and 24-month-old Fischer rats are predominantly lamelliform. When isolated, these organelles, whether of SSM or IFM origin, display enhanced heterogeneity, but they have similar crista morphology irrespective of the age of the rat. Crista configuration does not play a major role in age-related cardiac mitochondrial defects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytomorphology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riva
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tandler
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lesnefsky
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Loffredo
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.forename: Charles L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hoppel
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008929:Mitochondria, Heart / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012508:Sarcolemma / Q000648:ultrastructure*