Although livers exhibit only minimal morphologic changes with age, how older livers tolerate pathologic conditions such as normothermic
ischemia is unknown. Young 6-week-old mice and old 60-week-old mice underwent 60 minutes of hepatic
ischemia and various periods of reperfusion. Markers of hepatocyte injury, hepatic energy content, and mitochondrial function were determined. Ischemic preconditioning and
glucose injection were evaluated as protective strategies against
reperfusion injury in old mice.
Reperfusion injury was far worse in old mice compared with mice in the young control group. Ischemic preconditioning was highly protective against
reperfusion injury in young but not in old mice. Older livers had dramatically reduced
adenosine triphosphate (
ATP) levels and
glycogen contents. The low intrahepatic energy level in old mice was associated with a reduced mitochondrial
ATP production. Preoperative injection of
glucose restored the intrahepatic
ATP content and protected against
reperfusion injury. Furthermore,
glucose injection restored the protective effect of ischemic preconditioning, resulting in additive protection when both strategies were combined. Aging of the liver is associated with
mitochondrial dysfunction and decreased intrahepatic energy content, resulting in poorer tolerance against ischemic injury. Improving intrahepatic
ATP levels in old livers by
glucose injection protects the old liver against ischemic injury and restores the protective effects of ischemic preconditioning.