Aging of the Liver

Most organs are altered morphologically and functionally in old animals. To a varying extent, these age-related changes lead to a progressive loss of differentiated functions and physiologic capacities [1]. For the liver, the data are inconsistent and conflicting regarding the effects of aging on structure and function [2]. A number of reviews dealing with the physiology, structure and function of the aging liver have been published recently [3–5]. Reported morphological and structural changes do not generally correlate with the functional alterations found in the liver with age. These disparities raise the question of whether or not the observed changes with age actually compromise liver function, which led to the idea that the liver ages well when compared to other organs.