Effects of Thyroid Hormone on Mitochondrial Activity in Lipemic BHE Rats 1 2

Abstract

BHE rats were treated with various levels of thyroid hormone. Their weight, relative liver size, food intake, oxygen consumption, activity of ATPase, and activity of mitochondrial shuttles were measured. It was found that the administration of thyroid hormone increased the activity of the Ca²⁺Mg²⁺ ATPase and the Na⁺K⁺Ca²⁺Mg²⁺ ATPase. The activities of the α-glycerophosphate shuttle and the state 4 of the malate-aspartate shuttle were also increased. The results indicate that the genetic aberration in metabolic control which results in maturity-onset lipemia and glycemia in BHE rats is not due to an aberration in the mitochondrial carriers of the two shuttle systems or of the ATPases.