Effects of old age on vascular complexity and dispersion of the hepatic sinusoidal network.
OBJECTIVE
In old age, there are marked changes in both the structure of the liver sinusoidal endothelial cell and liver perfusion. The objective of this study was to determine whether there are also aging changes in the microvascular architecture and vascular dispersion of the liver that might influence liver function.


METHODS
Vascular corrosion casts and light micrographs of young (4 months) and old (24 months) rat livers were compared. Fractal and Fourier analyses and micro-computed tomography were used. Vascular dispersion was determined from the dispersion number for sucrose and 100-nm microspheres in impulse response experiments.


RESULTS
Age did not affect sinusoidal dimensions, sinusoidal density, or dispersion number. There were changes in the geometry and complexity of the sinusoidal network as determined by fractal dimension and degree of anisotropy.


CONCLUSIONS
There are small, age-related changes in the architecture of the liver sinusoidal network, which may influence hepatic function and reflect broader aging changes in the microcirculation. However, sinusoidal dimensions and hepatic vascular dispersion are not markedly influenced by old age.
Warren
Alessandra
A
Centre for Education and Research on Ageing and the ANZAC Research Institute, Concord RG Hospital and University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Chaberek
Slawomir
S
Ostrowski
Kazimierz
K
Cogger
Victoria C
VC
Hilmer
Sarah N
SN
McCuskey
Robert S
RS
Fraser
Robin
R
Le Couteur
David G
DG
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002196:Capillaries / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016319:Corrosion Casting; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D017709:Fractals; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344