Mitochondrial alterations in heart, kidney and liver of rats subjected to anemic hypoxia

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of anemic hypoxia on the mitochondrial respiratory components of heart, kidney, and liver. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected subcutaneously with phenylhydrazine hydrochloride (60 mg/kg body weight/48 hr) for 28 days. Determinations on body weight, organ protein, liver glycogen, urea excretion, and plasma glucose concentration suggested that the anemic animals underwent a mild nutritional deficiency during the initial phase of the anemia but that they fully recovered by Day 22. However, the rates of systemic oxygen consumption of the animals fell with the onset of anemia and remained significantly below normal during the 4 weeks of observations. Determinations on the specific activity of cytochrome oxidase on Days 0, 10, and 21 of anemia suggested that no significant changes in the ratios of mitochondrial mass to organ mass occurred for heart, kidney, and liver except for a major diminution in liver at Day 10. However, mitochondria isolated on Days 10 and 21 from heart, kidney, and liver of anemic animals were consistently deficient in one or more of the cytochromes in the b to c portion of the electron transport chain when compared to mitochondria isolated from control animals. This suggested a relationship between systemic hypoxia and cytochrome depletions.