Effects of oxidized glutathione on ATPase activities in rat retina

The activities of Mg(2+)-dependent and Na(+)-K(+)-stimulated ATPase in homogenates of rat retina were measured in the presence of increasing concentrations of oxidized glutathione (GSSG). The Mg(2+)-ATPase was not inhibited by GSSG at any of the concentrations tested. The Na(+)-K(+)-stimulated ATPase was not inhibited by 1 mM GSSG, but its activity was decreased by 20 and 35%, respectively, in the presence of 5 and 10 mM GSSG. Other enzymatic measurements using supernatant fractions of rat retina showed that 1-10 mM GSSG did not inhibit the activities of hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, or glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. These results suggest that GSSG is not likely to exert significant deleterious changes on cellular processes, at least in cells and tissues in which normal glutathione (GSH) concentration is 2 mM or lower.