Mitochondrial population in mammalian cells. I. Description of a counting technic and preliminary results on rat liver in different physiological and pathological conditions.

Abstract

Summary A method has been devised for counting mitochondria obtained by centrifugation of rat liver homogenate in sucrose. Values for normal rat liver are given. Preliminary results are furnished for tumor and regenerating liver and for fasting rats. The influence of diet is also considered. The number of mitochondria per normal rat liver cell is approximately 2,500. The mitochondrial population of the rat liver cell seems to vary in different physiological and pathological conditions. Boivin and the Vendrelys9 suggestion to express biochemical phenomena per cell is extended. When dealing with mitochondrial fractions it is proposed to express results per mitochondrion.