Mitochondrial and cytosolic ATP/ADP ratios in rat liver in vivo

The ratio of ATP content/ADP content in livers from unanaesthetized fed rat was 0.9 in the mitochondrial matrix and 6.9 in the cytosol; the values for starved (48 h) animals were 1.0 and 5.9 respectively. The mitochondrial ratios observed in unanaesthetized animals were higher than in haemoglobin-free-perfused liver and lower than in isolated hepatocytes. Possible reasons for these differences may be related to oxygen supply and/or other factors. Further, data from anaesthetized rats with the liver exposed are given: mitochondrial ATP/ADP ratios were decreased with pentobarbital, but less so with ketamine as narcotic agent.