[Effect of aflatoxin B 1 on respiration and oxidative phosphorylation in the rabbit. I. Studies of the hepatic mitochondria].

The effect of various concentrations of aflatoxin B1 (AB1) is studied "in vitro" on rabbit liver mitochondria. AB1 inhibits at concentrations from 1 to 2-4 x 10(-4) M, the respiratory rate from 20% a maximum 41-35% by glutamate and succinate as substrates, but it does not uncouple oxidative phosphorylation nor does it inhibit site III (ascorbate + TMPD). The inhibited site appears to be between cytochromes b and c (c1). AB1 seems to be easily transported across the mitochondrial membrane. The maximum degree of inhibition and the promoting AB1 concentration are too high to explain the liver cell necrosis in rabbit induced by AB1 "in vivo".