title: Age-related changes in cardiac mitochondrial energetics under the influence of calcium in rat.
abstract: Mitochondria extracted from the hearts of Wistar rats aged 6 and 24 months showed similar values for the respiratory control index (RCI), state 3 oxygen consumption (QO2) and ADP/O measured using glutamate or succinate as substrates; with the exception that the QO2 of the aged rats was lower than that of the young rats in the presence of glutamate. The consumption of O2 induced by 2-oxoglutarate and ADP was similar in both age groups. Concentrations of external free Ca2+ ranging from 0.2 to 0.8 microM produced an increase in O2 consumption and ATP formation in the young mitochondria, with a maximum effect at 0.2 microM external free Ca2+. Little or no change in O2 consumption and ATP formation was evident in aged mitochondria following incubations in concentrations of external free Ca2+ ranging from 0.2 to 0.8 microM. The continuous rate of formation of ATP, measured in the presence of 0.2 microM external free Ca2+ using a luminescence method, confirmed the previous results. This study indicates that the cardiac mitochondrial phosphorylating system of aged rats is poorly sensitive to variations in external free calcium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Center of Research on Cardiac Metabolism, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guarnieri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muscari
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Finelli
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Caldarera
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008929:Mitochondria, Heart / Q000378:metabolism*; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D002118:Calcium