Sensitivity of various mitochondrial enzymes to oxidative damage was tested on isolated rat liver hepatocytes
permeabilized by digitonin. In permeabilized hepatocytes
normal respiratory control
values were obtained and
mitochondrial membranes remained intact. Respiratory rate
s of NADH-dependent (glutamate+malate, palmitylcarnitine
+ malate) and flavoprotein-dependent (succinate) substrates were determined in hepatocytes exposed for 5 min to
0.5-3 mM
tert
-butyl hydroperoxide before addition of digitonin.
Our data showed that oxidation of NADH-dependent
substrates is much more sensitive to oxidative stress than ox
idation of flavoprotein-dependent ones, evidently due to the
modification of iron-sulfur clusters or SH groups in the NADH dehydrogenase enzyme complex (Complex I).