Wistar rats were subjected to a 6 hr exposure to ethylene oxide once at the concentration of 500 ppm, 3 times a week for 12 weeks as a chronic experiment. Hepatic glutathione contents were determined after these treatments. The specific content of reduced form of glutathione (GSH) in the rat livers of chronic exposures was 28.9 nmoles/mg protein, which is not significantly different from that of control group. On the other hand, the hepatic content of GSH in rats subjected to a 4 hr exposure to ethylene oxide at a concentration of 2500 ppm decreased markedly to the levels of 5% of control value. The present results suggest the involvement of glutathione, at least in part, in the detoxication of ethylene oxide.
Enzymatic activities of NADH cytochromc c reductase and cytochrome c oxidase were determined in the mitochondria from various tissucs of a patient with mitochondrizl encephalomyopathy and compared with those ef controls. NADH cytochrome c reductase in the present patient decreased signi{icantly in the liver and spleen and to a lcss cxtent in the kidneys. On the other hancl, cytochrome c oxidase of thc patient decreased severely in the skeletal muscle and kidncys ancl partially in the heart. Diflbrence spectrum of recluced-rninus oxiclized fbrm of mitochondria from patient's skeletal muscle and hcart showed a decrease of cytoc:hromc aa3 peak in the alpha rcgion at 605 nm. 'I'he$e results indicate that thcrc are cryptic defi(/iencies in the segments uf the rcspiratory chain in thc mitochondria from several tissues of the present patient, such as liver, kidney, splccn without any clinical manifestation. The weakncss and atrephy of skeletal muscle was, however, well cerrelated to the biochemical ana]ysis. mitochondria, rcspiratory chain, mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, cyt. c oxidase, skeletal muscle.
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