Bicarbonate stimulation of mitochondrial ATPase. Effect of physical training.

Bicarbonate stimulation of hepatic mitochondrial ATPase activity decreased in rats subjected to intense physical training and reached minimum values at the end of the third week. The stimulatory effect of bicarbonate on mitochondrial heart ATPase remained unaffected under equal conditions. ATPase stimulation by dinitrophenol and sensitivity to oligomycin, both in mitochondria from rat liver or heart, were not affected by physical training. Results suggest that stimulation by dinitrophenol and bicarbonate might be due to effects on separate sites of the enzyme.