[Oxidative activity and Delta(Psi) of liver mitochondria of active and hibernating ground squirrels during various incubation conditions].

A comparative analysis of delta psi of liver mitochondria of active and hibernating gophers was carried out, and the effect of the decrease of the medium tonicity on the oxidase activity and delta psi of liver mitochondria of both animal groups was studied. The delta psi of hibernating gopher liver mitochondria was shown to be lower than that of active animals mitochondria and displayed a higher sensitivity to the uncoupler and some different restoration dynamics after the decline following the ADP addition. Swelling of liver mitochondria of hibernating gophers in hypotonic media or in media containing potassium acetate and a 3-fold freeze-thawing procedure resulted in the enhancement of the oxidase activities accompanied (in case of hypotonicity) by an delta psi increase and a decrease of its sensitivity to the uncoupler, 2.4-dinitrophenol. Inhibition of phospholipase A2 prevented the enhancement of the oxidase activity in all cases and the delta psi increase in hypotonic media.