[Does the liver ability to regeneration decrease with age? The dynamics of functional activity of mitochondria in...

The ability of liver of 1-, 3-, 12- and 24-month rats to mass restoration, mass gain and activity of cell energy system from 1 to 30 days after ectomy of liver medial and left lateral lowels were investigated. It was shown that the old animals did not rebate to young ones in respect of regenerant gain and exceeded them with mitochondria functional activity at the early stages of regeneration (2-24 h after operation). We detected a little lag in old rats (12 and 24 monthes) in comparison with 1-3 ones in rate of liver mass reset to corresponding age groups control level. It may be explained by the difference between young and old animals in strategy of organism homeostasis after ectomy of 2/3 liver mass. The rhythmic character of activities for the most of indices of mitochondria functional activity in liver regenerating up to 24 h with maximum at 2-3 h and 12-18 h after operation was detected. The detected rhythm was typical mostly to mitochondria of the old animals. The high functional activity of mitochondria of the old animals and on the late stages of liver regeneration was shown.