THE INHIBITION OF OXIDATIVE AND PHOSPHORYLATIVE ENZYMES IN RAT LIVER MITOCHONDRIA BY AMINOAZOBENZENE DERIVATIVES

The liver carcinogen, dimethylaminoazobenzene, inhibited in vitro the oxidation of a variety of pyridine nucleotide linked substrates of rat liver mitochondria without affecting the process of oxidative phosphorylation. Cytochrome c oxidase activity was not inhibited by the carcinogen, nor was the succinoxidase activity, but the phosphorylation accompanying succinate oxidation was uncoupled. Similar effects were noted with other aminoazobenzene derivatives, but did not appear to be correlated with the ability of the compounds to evoke tumors.The site of the respiratory inhibition by dimethylaminoazobenzene appears to be at the level between reduced pyridine nucleotide and cytochrome c in the respiratory chain. Mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity was not inhibited, while the oxidation of reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide was markedly decreased. The reduction of the electron acceptor, ferricyanide, by pyridine nucleotide linked substrates was also strongly inhibited but the reduction of tetrazolium compounds was not affected. The latter observations suggest that dimethylaminoazobenzene produces a metabolic block between reduced flavin and cytochrome c in the mitochondrial electron transport system.