Biological significance of enhanced mitochondrial membrane potential in regenerating liver

✍ Scribed by Tomohiko Nishihira; Junji Tanaka; Kastuhide Nishikawa; Akira Jikko; Yoshiro Taki; Taisuke Morimoto; Kenji Koizumi; Yasuo Kamiyama; Kazue Ozawa; Takayoshi Tobe

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1986
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 472 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0270-9139
• DOI: 10.1002/hep.1840060211

✦ Synopsis

Liver mitochondrial membrane potential was assessed during regeneration following partial hepatectomy in rabbits. Absorbance change of safranine 0 per milligram of mitochondrial protein was used to evaluate mitochondrial membrane potential. Absorbance change was calibrated to the membrane potential in millivolts produced by valinomycin-induced potassium diffusion potential. At 24 hr after hepatectomy, absorbance change of safranine 0 per milligram of mitochondrial protein increased from 15.0 f 2.2 x lo-' to 37.4 f 3.3 x 10" per mg (p < 0.005). This represents a mitochondrial membrane potential increase from 77.0 f 4.6 to 124.4 k 6.7 mV. Phosphorylative activity increased from 59.9 f 5.0 to 106.1 f 7.4 nmoles ATP synthesized per mg per min (p < 0.005). The enhancement of phosphorylative activity was closely linked to the elevation in liver mitochondrial membrane potential (r = 0.77, p < 0.005). We suggest that elevation of mitochondrial membrane potential, coupled with enhanced oxidative and phosphorylative activities, plays an important role in the regeneration process following hepatectomy.