Abstract

Lipids were isolated by chloroform-methanol extraction from mitochondrial and microsomal fractions of guinea-pig hearts. In the presence of digitoxin (10−9-10−6 g/ml) 15–30% more radioactive Ca was taken up by the lipid extracts than under control conditions, but the total amount of Ca in this phase remained unchanged. Thus, digitoxin produced an increase in the specific activity of the lipid-bound Ca which may be explained by an increased exchangeability of this Ca fraction. This effect of digitoxin might result in an improved availability of the lipid-bound Ca for Ca-dependent functions (e.g. contraction) of the heart muscle cell.

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