Ultrastructure of Hepatocytes from Laboratory Mice Fed a Standard Dry Laboratory Animal Diet*

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V. B. Vays¹, I. M. Vangeli¹, O. A. Averina¹, M. L. Lovat², and L. E. Bakeeva^1,a**

¹Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia

²Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia

^* The article is presented by the Editor-in-Chief academician V. P. Skulachev.

^** To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received July 7, 2020; Revised July 7, 2020; Accepted July 18, 2020

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The significant destructive changes in ultrastructure of hepatocytes from laboratory mice kept in different vivariums in Moscow and fed with dry laboratory animal diets acquired from different domestic manufacturers that were not standardized for initial products were demonstrated using electron microscopy. Furthermore, disruption in the ultrastructure of liver parenchymal cells occurred regardless of the animal status (SPF or conventional), conditions of various vivariums, as well as the feed manufacturer. At the same time, studies on ultrastructure of liver hepatocytes from mice kept in the Charles River Laboratory facilities in Germany and fed with the Altromin Spezialfutter laboratory animal diet (GmbH & Co., Germany) that was produced using quality control of ingredients did not reveal destructive changes in the internal ultrastructure of hepatocytes. However, if these mice were later fed with the food produced in local manufactures, changes in the structure of liver cells developed after 2 months. Thus, feeding with dry diet from the domestic producers of an unspecified composition causes significant changes in the ultrastructure of hepatocytes in control animals, reflecting the development of some pathological processes in the body.

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KEY WORDS: mitochondria, hepatocytes, ultrastructure, mice, standard laboratory diet

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297920090084

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