Correlation between the toxicity of chemical agents and their inhibitory activity on isolated mitochondria

Correlation was found between the concentrations of compounds inhibiting respiration of isolated mitochondria and the toxicity of the same substances for the whole organism. This correlation was observed for different intensities of action in vivo and for different pathways of entry of the toxic agent into the body. The relationship discovered applies to all inhibitors of tissue respiration irrespective of their point of application and of the molecular mechanism of their action.