ABSTRACT
Mitochondrial damage or dysfunction is known to be an important mechanism of injury in many liver diseases. A number of methods for the measurement of mitochondrial damage are available for basic research. While respirometry is the preferred approach, imaging techniques such as the assessment of mitochondrial morphology by electron microscopy and the visualization of mitochondrial membrane potential using dyes that accumulate within functional mitochondria, and various biochemical assays are also available. Importantly, several noninvasive serum and urine biomarkers of mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress have recently been described for use in translational research. Although additional work is needed to validate these markers, they are already allowing the investigation of liver injury mechanisms in humans at the molecular level. The purpose of this chapter is to present an overview of the major methods available to measure mitochondrial damage using tissues, cells, isolated mitochondria, and even the blood of animals and humans.
