Mitochondrial damage and lactic acidosis

April 2001     View PDF     En español

What are mitochondria?

Mitochondria are tiny rods found inside all human cells. Essentially, they are the cell’s “power plants” and are also involved in the formation of protein and the processing of fat in cells.

Several things can affect how well mitochondria work. As people age, get an infection or take certain anti-HIV drugs, changes can occur in mitochondria. These changes, or mutations, may damage the mitochondria and either disrupt the normal function of the cells or cause them to stop working altogether.

Mitochondrial toxicity is a general term that refers to these changes. Perhaps more accurately, it is mitochondrial damage. It can cause different symptoms in the heart, nerves, muscles, pancreas, kidney and liver (or perhaps anywhere it occurs). It can also cause changes in lab tests.