EFFECT OF NITROGLYCOL ON THE RESPIRATION OF MITOCHONDRIA PREPARED FROM RABBIT LIVER

Abstract

Effect of nitroglycol on mitochondria prepared from rabbit liver was investigated using the technique of manometric method in the presence of various substrates belonging to citric acid cycle. The amount of oxygen consumed by mitochondria decreased about 10 percent by the addition of 0.05-500μM of nitroglycol and about 70 percent by the addition of 5000μM of the poison. This fact may indicate that the structure of mitochondria was partially damaged by nitroglycol and as the result of this damage enzymes contained in the particles were inactivated. In conformity with these experiments, the possibility that mitochondria in the liver or heart cells of animals is damaged directly by nitroglycol penetrated into the tissue cells from the blood was discussed.