Glucagon treatment of rats inhibits the accumulation of lysophospholipids by liver mitochondria during preparation and subsequent incubation.

Rat liver mitochondria isolated from rats exposed to 32Pi for 24 h and treated with glucagon for 15 min before sacrifice contained less lysophosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylethanolamine than those from control animals. Incubation of the mitochondria at 37 degrees C for 15 min increased the lysophosphatidylcholine concentration of control mitochondria but not of those from glucagon-treated animals. Lysophosphatidylethanolamine showed little change during in vitro incubation of mitochondria and this was not affected by glucagon treatment. These results are discussed in relation to the effects of glucagon treatment on mitochondrial function in situ and in vitro.