Characterization of mitochondrial functions in digitonin-permeabilized rat liver cells

Mitochondrial functions were investigated in permeabilized rat liver cells. For permeabilization isolated hepatocytes were treated with digitonin using a perifusion technique. After permeabilization the cell count was almost unchanged, and the mitochondrial marker enzyme, glutamate dehydrogenase, was decreased to as little as 83%. The mitochondria in permeabilized cells were functionally intact, a finding evident from a marked stimulation of respiration by ADP, inhibition by carboxyatractyloside, and stimulation by uncoupler. The ADP-stimulated and uncoupled respiration rates with succinate as substrate were comparable to those reported for isolated mitochondria, whereas the rates with NAD(+)-dependent substrates were somewhat higher. The ratios between ADP-stimulated and carboxyatractyloside-inhibited respiration rates were in the range noted for isolated mitochondria with identical substrates. Almost unchanged ADP-stimulated and carboxyatractyloside-inhibited respiration rates were found for at least 180 min after digitonin treatment. The preparation exhibited only a low extramitochondrial ATPase activity which was partially inhibited by vanadate.