[Relation between respiration and swelling of liver mitochondria induced by anthracycline antibiotics]

The anthracycline antibiotics rubomycin (daunorubicin) and carminomycin at concentrations which stimulate mitochondrial respiration in the absence of ADP induce the swelling of rat liver mitochondria. Under these conditions, the lipid peroxidation (LPO) inhibitor ionol slows down both the respiration and swelling of mitochondria. This suggests that stimulation of respiration and swelling under effects of the antibiotics largely depend on LPO. In the presence of the respiration inhibitor antimycin no effect of ionol is observed. Adriamycin (doxorubicin) stimulates mitochondrial respiration in a lesser degree than rubomycin and carminomycin and fails to induce mitochondrial swelling.