Correlation between decreased expression of mitochondrial F0F1-ATP synthase and low regenerating capability of the liver after partial hepatectomy in hypothyroid rats.

In hypothyroid rats, partial hepatectomy does not induce liver regeneration until 120 h after surgical operation. when, instead, in normal rats a complete recovery of the liver mass, in this interval, is observed. In normal rats, a good efficiency of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is needed as an energy source for liver regeneration (Guerrieri, F. et al., 1995); in hypothyroid rats the efficiency of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is low in the 0-120 h interval after partial hepatectomy. This low efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation appears to be related to a low mitochondrial content of F0F1-ATP synthase, in liver of hypothyroid rats, which does not recover after partial hepatectomy. In the liver of hypothyroid rats, low levels of the nuclear-encoded mitochondrial catalytic betaF1 subunit and of its transcript are observed and they do not increase, as occurs in normal rats, after partial hepatectomy.