The Functional Activity of Mitochondria in Deuterium Depleted Water

Abstract—The efficiency of phosphorylation in samples of isolated rat liver mitochondria in incubation media with variable isotopic composition at deuterium contents of 6, 60, 90, 120, 150 ppm, as well as 0.1, 1 and 2%, was studied. In media with a low deuterium content (up to 60 ppm), a monotonic decrease in the ADP/O ratio was observed, while at 6 ppm its value was the same as at 60 ppm. The generation of superoxide anion by complex I, II, and III of the mitochondrial respiratory chain was also investigated. For all studied modes of mitochondrial functioning using respiratory chain inhibitors, the generation of superoxide anion was independent of the deuterium concentration in the incubation medium.