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Basal Activity of Kupffer Cells Increases With Old Age

¹ Centre for Education and Research on Ageing and ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney and Concord Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia.
² Departments of Aged Care and Clinical Pharmacology, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.

Address correspondence to Sarah N. Hilmer, PhD, FRACP, Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Ward 11C Main Building, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia. E-mail: shilmer{at}med.usyd.edu.au

Age-related changes in Kupffer cell numbers and function may have important implications for systemic immune responses and hepatic function. We compared numbers of Kupffer cells in the hepatic sinusoids and phagocytic function of Kupffer cells in isolated perfused livers of young, middle-aged, and old rats. On light microscopy, the number of Kupffer cells per 29,500 µm² field increased with increasing age (young 2.0 ± 0.2, n = 8; middle aged 3.3 ± 0.3, n = 7; old 5.5 ± 0.6, n = 7). After a single pass through the liver, the ratio of the fractional recovery of 500 nm polystyrene microspheres to that of sucrose decreased significantly with increasing age: young rats, 89 ± 35% (n = 7); middle-aged rats, 58 ± 18% (n = 9); and old rats, 49 ± 24% (n = 10), suggesting increased Kupffer cell phagocytic activity. In old age, increased Kupffer cell numbers and activity were observed in the basal state.