[The ultrastructure of the hepatocyte contacts in inbred mice at different ages]

Correlation was revealed between the ultrastructure of hepatocyte contacts and force F, essential for the rupture of the junction between the cell, seized with a microneedle, and the tissue specimen, in mice of the highly cancerous CBA line and of the low cancerous C57BL line at the age of 1.7 and 15 months. The most considerable ultrastructural differences in the cell contacts were found in the above mice at the age of 1 month, when the signs of carcinogenic process cannot yet been seen. It is shown that the differences in force F of these mice are not associated with the structural changes in hepatocyte contacts which may be due to the differences in durability properties of the cytoskeleton.