Zucchini C; Pugnaloni A; Pallotti F; Solmi R; Crimi M; Castaldini C; Biagini G; Lenaz G

Biochem Mol Biol Int, 1995 Nov, 37:4, 607-16

Abstract

We have investigated structural and functional properties of skeletal muscle mitochondria
obtained from biopsies from young and old individuals. The morphometric analysis of
muscle sections revealed a tendency to an increase of total area, numerical density and
volume density of mitochondria in the aged. The enzymatic activities of NADH-Coenzyme
Q reductase, succinate cytochrome c reductase, ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase exhibited
 a high variability of specific activities without any correlation with age. Expression of the
values as enzyme turnovers reduced the variability but was unable to reveal any
age-dependent modification.