[Respiration and oxidative phosphorylation in isolated liver cells under freezing conditions]

Respiration and oxidative phosphorylation of hepatocytes were studied as affected by low temperatures and cryoprotectors. Fast freezing of these cells down to -196 degrees C with the presence of mentioned substances causes considerable destruction of their structures. The intensity of the oxygen endogenic uptake lowers significantly, respiration and oxidative phosphorylation become uncoupled. Two-stage freezing down to -196 degrees C also causes a complete uncoupling of the oxidation and phosphorylation processes in the hepatocyte mitochondria. When freezing hepatocytes down to -196 degrees C by the multistage programme with the presence of cryoprotectors in a 10% concentration, the mitochondria retain 20, 30 and 40% of their functional properties, respectively.