title: Simultaneous measurement of mitochondrial and microsomal cytochrome levels in human liver biopsy.
abstract: The mitochondrial and microsomal cytochromes in patients' livers obtained from needle biopsies have been analyzed using a sensitive spectrophotometric method. To determine simultaneously the concentration of these cytochromes from hemoglobin-contaminated liver, difference spectra of liver homogenates were taken at the temperature of liquid nitrogen before and after photolysis of carbon monoxide molecules from various hemoprotein-CO complexes. This method utilizes a characteristic property of hemoprotein-CO complexes, in which the reassociation of CO molecules with photolyzed hemoglobin, cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome alpha3 is temperature-dependent. The results in 69 cases with a variety of liver diseases have revealed that the concentrations of cytochromes alphaalpha3, P-450 and beta5 showed a huge variation in the injured livers as compared with those in the normal controls. The significance of the measurement of these cytochrome concentrations and their ratios is discussed.
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000032:analysis; D003580:Cytochromes / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D003580:Cytochromes; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System