Lowered respiratory activity in hypo-osmotically shocked mitochondria without loss of cytochrome c

Brief exposure of rat liver mitochondria to hypo-osmotic sucrose media caused a decline in the rates of succinate and ascorbate-NNN'N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine oxidation without loss of cytochrome c when assayed in iso-osmotic media. Lowered respiration rates in mitochondria after brief exposure to hypo-osmotic media may reflect a modification of cytochrome c binding.