Halahan Y. Structural changes in the liver of rats of different ages against the background of hyperhomocysteinemia (experimental research)

The dissertation provides a theoretical generalization and a new solution of the current scientific problem of establishing changes in the liver structure of rats of different ages, which deepen against the background of chronic hyperhomocysteinemia. Liver research at different levels of structural organization in all age groups of intact experimental animals showed that the liver has a typical structure that is characteristic of this species of animal. It was established that in the stromal and parenchymal components of the liver of old animals, age-related changes are manifested in the form of impaired blood supply of the organ, slight thickening of connective tissue, and an increase in the number of lipid inclusions in hepatocytes. Studies of the structural organization of the liver of different age groups with simulated hyperhomocysteinemia have shown that this factor causes significant damage of the structural components of the organ, the depth of which increases with age. The pathological effect of hyperhomocysteinemia is manifested by the development of liver fibrosis, significant violations of the vascular bed, deep alterative and necrotic changes with the development of fatty dystrophy of hepatocytes in the organ. Аgainst the background of hyperhomocysteinemia in the liver of rats of all age groups, an increase in total proteolytic activity, activity of metal-dependent enzymes, as well as proteolytic degradation of serine proteases is noted, which is confirmed by changes in the qualitative composition of these enzymes, in particular, the accumulation of low-molecular-weight proteins and a decrease in the proportion of proteins with a molecular weight of more than 50 kDa in this fraction.