Citrinin depresses the phosphorylation efficiency of rat renal cortical mitochondria, as inferred from the decrease of the respiratory control coefficient (RC) and ADP/O ratios. The transmembrane potential (delta psi) developed by energized mitochondria and the depolarization upon ADP addition are also decreased. Citrinin (1.0 mM) inhibits almost all enzymes linked to the respiratory chain and increases the activity of succinate cytochrome c reductase and succinate oxidase (coupled). Malate and glutamate dehydrogenases are also inhibited. The inhibitory action of citrinin on phosphorylation efficiency could be related to the following findings: the effect on complex I; the action on the ATP synthetase complex; the partial inhibition of the transmembrane potential.

The effects of citrinin in the maintenance of the homeostasis of the reactive oxygen species in rat liver cells were evaluated. Citrinin (CTN) modifies the antioxidant enzymatic defences of cells through the inhibition of GSSG-reductase and transhydrogenase. No effect was observed on GSH-peroxidase, catalase, glucose 6-phosphate and 6 phosphogluconate dehydrogenases, and superoxide dismutase. The mycotoxin increased the generation of reactive oxygen species, stimulating the production of the superoxide anion in the respiratory chain. The results suggest that oxidative stress is an important mechanism, side by side with other effects previously shown, in the establishment of the cytotoxicity and cellular death provoked by CTN in several tissues.

The effects of methotrexate (MTX) on oxygen uptake by permeabilized HeLa cells were evaluated. MTX did not inhibit state III respiration when the oxidizable substrate was succinate, but when the substrates were 2-oxoglutarate or isocitrate the respiration decreased about 50 per cent at 1.0 mM concentration of the drug. This effect was explained by inhibition of 2-oxoglutarate and isocitrate dehydrogenases by MTX. No effect was observed on succinate dehydrogenase. An evaluation of the effects of MTX on malic enzyme activity as measured by pyruvate plus lactate production in intact cells supplied with malate showed a decrease of about 40 per cent in metabolite production using 0.4 mM MTX. HeLa cell malic enzyme, as observed for other tumour cells, is compartmentalized in mitochondria and cytosol, and is another example of a dehydrogenase inhibited by MTX.

The mycotoxin citrinin, depressed the phosphorylation efficiency of liver mitochondria as deduced from a decrease of respiratory coefficient and of the ADP/O ratio. Citrinin (1.0 mM) inhibited some enzymes linked to the respiratory chain, namely NADH oxidase and NADH cytochrome c reductase involved with complex I. The activities of enzymes related with other enzymatic complexes of the respiratory chain were either unaffected or enhanced. ATPase activity was inhibited by the mycotoxin. Malate, glutamate, and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenases were also inhibited. The transmembrane potential (delta psi), developed by energized mitochondria and depolarization on the addition of ADP, was decreased. The results suggest that citrinin promotes a partial dissipation of the transmembrane potential, different from that resulting from a classical uncoupler such as 2,4-dinitrophenol.

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