The intensity of succinate oxidation in surviving liver tissue

Abstract

O consumption of slices of rat liver was measured by the manometric method of Warburg in Ringer soln. For obtaining the maximum intensity of succinate oxidation a thickness of slice of about 0.12 mm. and a succinate concentration of M/25 were found to be suitable. Under these conditions the average Qo2 value was 90, i.e., it exceeded the average values of other respiration processes by nearly 1000%. The fluctuation of the values obtained from different livers was comparatively small. Furthermore, the intensity of succinate oxidation in contrast to the spontaneous respiration and the oxidation of lactate and pyruvate was not decreased in starved animals. The detn. of the intensity of succinate oxidation when measured under optimal conditions was a useful method for detecting whether changes in the respiration of surviving tissues were due to changes in the O-activating system.