Effects of clofibrate treatment and of starvation on peroxisomes, mitochondria, and lipid droplets in mouse hepatocytes: A morphometric study

Adult male mice of the NMRI strain were treated with a diet containing 0.5% clofibrate for 4 days to study its effects on peroxisomes, mitochondria, and lipid droplets in hepatocytes. Animals were also starved overnight to study the additional effects of starvation. Starvation of control animals had small effects on peroxisomes while the mitochondria became enlarged and occupied more of the cytoplasm. The number and fractional area of lipid droplets increased fivefold. Clofibrate treatment caused a doubling in number and average size of peroxisomes. No significant effects were observed in the number of mitochondrial profiles or lipid droplets although the size of the latter decreased to a third the value of the fed control. Starvation of clofibrate-treated animals led to a slight increase in the number of peroxisomes although their average size decreased by 30%. Mitochondrial average area increased and their fractional cytoplasmic area increased despite the decrease in numerical density. The number of lipid droplets increased twofold compared to that of clofibrate-treated animals while the size was not affected.