Respiratory activities of hepatocytes isolated from rats of various ages. A brief note

The ratio between the oxygen consumption of isolated hepatocytes in the presence of an inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation (oligomycin, atractyloside) and in the presence of an uncoupler (dinitrophenol) is used as an estimation of the respiratory control ratio of mitochondria inside the isolated liver parenchymal cell. No significant age-related decline in the functional integrity of the mitochondria could be detected.