The effect of butylated hydroxytoluene, an inhibitor of lipid peroxidation, on the calcium-induced uncoupling of rat liver mitochondria

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The accumulation of Ca 2+ by rat liver mitochondria in the presence of P i results in spontaneous activation of respiration, accompanied by progressive loss of the accumulated cation. The lipid peroxidation inhibitor, butylated hydroxytoluene, completely prevents and reverses the loss of accumulated Ca 2+ and restores respiration to the state 4 level, but exerts no effect on the rate of Ca 2+ accumulation and respiration in the presence of the uncoupler. The strong inhibition by butylated hydroxytoluene of ruthenium red-insensitive Ca 2+ efflux has also been observed. No correlation between the BHT-sensitive Ca 2+ loss and the formation of malonic dialdehyde in mitochondria has been found. The data obtained suggest that the Ca 2+ -induced uncoupling of mitochondria is mainly due to the appearance of electrogenic ion fluxes that are controlled by the initial steps of lipid peroxidation.