Aging is an important and inevitable biological process in human life, associated with the onset of chronic disease and death. The mechanisms behind aging remain unclear. However, changes in mitochondrial function and structure, including reduced activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and increased production of reactive oxygen species—thus oxidative damage—are believed to play a major role. Mitochondria are the main source of cellular energy, producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) via oxidative phosphorylation. Accumulation of damaged cellular components reduces a body’s capacity to preserve tissue homeostasis and affects biological aging and all age-related chronic conditions. This includes the onset and progression of classic degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Clinical manifestations of intestinal disorders, such as mucosal barrier dysfunction, intestinal dysmotility, and chronic obstipation, are highly prevalent in the elderly population and have been shown to be associated with an age-dependent decline of mitochondrial function. This review summarizes our current understanding of the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in intestinal aging.

中文翻译：

---

与年龄相关的肠道线粒体功能恶化。

衰老是人类生命中重要且不可避免的生物学过程，与慢性疾病和死亡的发作有关。衰老的机制尚不清楚。但是，线粒体功能和结构的变化，包括线粒体呼吸链活性的降低和活性氧的产生增加（因此氧化损伤），被认为是主要的作用。线粒体是细胞能量的主要来源，通过氧化磷酸化产生三磷酸腺苷（ATP）。受损细胞成分的积累会降低人体保持组织稳态的能力，并影响生物衰老和所有与年龄有关的慢性病。这包括诸如心血管疾病，肾衰竭，神经退行性疾病和癌症等经典退行性疾病的发作和进展。肠道疾病的临床表现，例如粘膜屏障功能障碍，肠道运动障碍和慢性便秘，在老年人群中非常普遍，并已显示出与年龄相关的线粒体功能下降。这篇综述总结了我们目前对线粒体功能障碍在肠道衰老中的作用的理解。