BIOCHEMICAL-CHANGES IN MITOCHONDRIA DURING CHRONIC PERCHLORATE TOXICITY

Mitochondria isolated from the liver of rats administered sodium perchlorate, an environmental pollutants at chronic dosage of 500 mg/kg body wt/day for 45 days exhibited marked alteration in composition. The protein and lipid pattern of perchlorate treated rats showed variations. The activities of total ATPase and monoamine oxidase decreased drastically in experimental animals. Kinetic studies on Mg++ stimulated ATPase showed increase in km value with a decrease in transition temperature. It is inferred that during perchlorate toxicity the impaired mitochondrial function is associated with changes in the composition and the activities of membrane bound enzymes.