Features of electron microscopic changes in the liver of rats aged 24-26 months under conditions of hyperhomocysteinemia

Abstract

Disruption of the metabolism of the essential amino acid methionine causes the syndrome of hyperhomocysteinemia. This pathological condition is associated with the risk of developing a number of diseases, including chronic liver disease. The mechanisms of liver tissue damage in hyperhomocysteinemia remain poorly understood and require more detailed study. The aim of the study is to establish the features of submicroscopic changes in the liver structure of old rats with hyperhomocysteinemia. The experimental study was performed on 22 white nonlinear old (24-26 months) male rats, which were divided into a control group and an experimental group. A model of persistent hyperhomocysteinemia was created by administering to rats of experimental group of thiolactone homocysteine at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight intragastrically for 60 days. The study of ultrastructural changes in the lungs of rats was performed using an electron microscope PEM-125K. At experimental hyperhomocysteinemia in a liver of old rats there are changes in all structural components. Mitochondrial destruction and edema were observed in the vascular endothelium. Organelles have an enlightened matrix, a reduced number of cristae. A significant content of destructively altered mitochondria in endothelial cells indicates a failure of adaptation mechanisms. Erythrocyte sludges are observed in the lumens of the sinusoids. The number of fat-accumulating cells decreases, which indicates their transformation into fibroblasts and leads to the growth of collagen fibers, expansion of the sinusoidal spaces and the development of stromal fibrosis.