10.1007/s11827-008-1007-6

Abstract

Respiration parameters of liver mitochondria (MCh) in rats fed with amaranth seed oil for 3 weeks have been evaluated. Thirty minutes before decapitation, adrenaline was injected intraperitoneally at a low dose (350 μg/kg body weight) to both control and experimental animals. It was shown that in animals that were injected with adrenaline and did not receive oil, the rate of phosphorylating respiration increased by 32% and phosphorylation time decreased by 22% upon oxidation of succinate; upon oxidation of α-ketoglutarate in the presence of the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor malonate, phosphorylating respiration was activated by 23%. The respiration of MCh upon oxidation of succinate + glutamate and α-ketoglutarate in the absence of malonate was not affected by adrenaline. The intake of oil markedly activated almost all parameters of mitochondrial respiration in experimental rats upon oxidation of all above-listed substrates in both coupled and uncoupled MCh. However, phosphorylation time was close to the control value (upon oxidation of succinate) or increased (upon oxidation of α-ketoglutarate in the presence and absence of malonate). The injection of adrenaline to animals receiving oil did not affect the oil-activated respiration of MCh oxidizing the substrates used; however, phosphorylation time in all groups of animals decreased. Ca2+ capacity of MCh in rats receiving amaranth oil did not change. Thus, our data show that feeding of rats with amaranth oil activates mitochondrial respiration and prevents MCh hyperactivation induced by adrenaline.