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Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Isolation and Functional Analysis of Mitochondria from Cultured Cells and Mouse Tissue
Published on: March 23, 2015
Fasting promotes functional changes in liver mitochondria
Sergio L Menezes-Filho1, Ignacio Amigo1, Luis Alberto Luévano-Martínez2
1Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Abstract:
Overnight fasting of rodents is commonly adopted in protocols to obtain isolated liver mitochondria, but the effects of fasting itself on mitochondrial function are poorly characterized. In this study we show that overnight fasting (15 h) promotes a shift in the liver mitochondrial bioenergetic profile, with a reduction in ADP-stimulated and maximal respiration, lower membrane potentials and lower resistance to Ca2+-induced mitochondrial permeability transition. Short term fasting (4 h) promoted similar changes, suggesting that this is a physiological shift in mitochondrial function associated with fasting, but not torpor. Our results suggest that the widely adopted liver mitochondrial isolation technique using fasted animals should be reconsidered, and also uncover physiological changes in bioenergetic function associated to nutritional status.
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