Effect of cold storage and freezing of bovine and porcine liver on activity and subcellular distribution of mitochondrial enzymes

Abstract

The subcellular distribution of the mitochondrial enzymes lipoamide dehydrogenase (LIPDH), citrate synthase (CS), and beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA-dehydrogenase (HADH) in bovine and porcine liver tissue was studied by measuring the enzyme activities in a phosphate buffer extract of tissue (total activity) and in liver press-juice (cell plasma). In slaughter-fresh liver most of the activity was located in the mitochondria. During storage of liver under refrigeration (+2 degrees C) for several days a large decrease in total LIPDH activity and a lesser decrease in HADH activity, but no change in CS activity were observed. There was no or only little release of the three enzymes into the cell plasma during storage; this indicates that storage of liver at +2 degrees C was not accompanied by a marked damage of mitochondria. Freezing (-20 degrees C) and thawing of bovine and porcine liver caused some losses of the total activity of HADH and particularly of LIPDH but not changes in CS activity. There was a considerable increase in the activities of LIPDH, CS, and HADH in the press juice after freezing and thawing of liver tissue. Apparently freezing of liver results in damage to the mitochondria and, therefore, in a partial release of the three enzymes from the inner membrane of the mitochondrion into the cell plasma. By storage of liver under refrigeration the mitochondria became more sensitive to freezing and thawing. Prolonged frozen-storage of liver resulted in an increased release of LIPDH, CS, and HADH into the cell plasma.