Abstract
It is now clear that mitochondria are involved as either a cause or consequence of many chronic diseases. This central role of the mitochondria is due to their position in the cell as important integrators of cellular energetics and signaling. Mitochondrial function affects many aspects of the cellular environment such as redox homeostasis and calcium signaling, which then also exert control over mitochondrial function. This complex dynamic between mitochondrial function and the cellular environment highlights the value of examining mitochondria in vivo in the intact physiological environment. This review discusses NMR and optical approaches used to measure mitochondria ATP and oxygen fluxes that provide in vivo measures of mitochondrial capacity and quality in animal and human models. Combining these in vivo measurements with more traditional ex vivo analyses can lead to new insights into the importance of the cellular environment in controlling mitochondrial function under pathological conditions. Interpretation and underlying assumptions for each technique are discussed with the goal of providing an overview of some of the most common approaches used to measure in vivo mitochondrial function encountered in the literature.