Depletion and Reaccumulation of Mitochondrial Sodium and Potassium: Effect of Adrenalectomy

Abstract

The effect of 6–7 days of adrenocortical insufficiency (tap water and no steroids) on the movements of sodium and potassium in rat liver and kidney mitochondria was studied. Rat liver and kidney mitochondria were depleted of sodium or potassium. The ability of these particulates to accumulate sodium or potassium upon the addition of the particular ion to the incubation medium was determined. Adrenalectomy was without effect on the following: the rate of depletion of or the ability to reaccumulate sodium or potassium, the mitochondrial water content or the intramitochondrial potassium concentration. However, adrenalectomy did result in a consistently higher sodium concentration in kidney mitochondria in the sodium depletion-reaccumulation experiments.