Biochemical effects of gum arabic, gum tragacanth, methylcellulose and carboxymethylcellulose-Na in rat heart and liver.

Repeated oral administration of commonly used suspending media, gum arabic, gum tragacanth, methylcellulose, and carboxymethylcellulose-Na to rats caused uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation in liver and heart mitochondria and partial inhibition of mixed function oxidases of liver endoplasmic reticulum, as measured by 2-biphenylhydroxylation and 4-biphenylhydroxylation. There were considerable differences between the compounds with regard to potency and reversibility of these effects. Only methylcellulose at a concentration of 0.5% did not alter mitochondrial function and mixed function oxidases. It is recommended as suspending medium for the use in pharmacological and toxicological experiments.