Influence of starvation and clofibrate administration on oxidative phosphorylation by rat liver mitochondria

Whole cells, homogenates and mitochondrial obtained from the livers of albino rats which were starved for 6 days or more showed a 50% decrease in oxidative activity. The decrease could be corrected by the addition of cytochrome c in vitro. The phosphorylative activity of mitochondria remained unaffected. The decrease in oxidative rate was not observed when starving animals were given the anti-hypercholesterolaemic drug clofibrate. The total cellular concentration of cytochrome c was not affected by starvation. However, the concentration of the pigment in hepatic mitochondria isolated from starving animals was less than half that in normal mitochondria. Clofibrate-treated animals did not show a decreased concentration of cytochrome c in hepatic mitochondria. Mitochondria isolated from starving animals, though deficient in cytochrome c, did not show any decrease in succinate dehydrogenase activity or in the rate of substrate-dependent reduction of potassium ferricyanide or attendant phosphorylation. In coupled mitochondria, ferricyanide may not accept electrons from the cytochrome c in the respiratory chain. Starvation decreases the concentration of high-affinity binding sites for cytochrome c on the mitochondrial membrane. The dissociation constant increases in magnitude.