Mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity affects adaptation of cardiac oxygen consumption to demand.

The effect of regulation of mitochondrial dehydrogenase activities on the mean response time of mitochondrial oxygen consumption, which characterizes the delay between changes in ATP hydrolysis and changes in oxygen consumption, was investigated in isolated rabbit hearts and perfused with Tyrode solution at 28 degrees C. Perfusion with ruthenium red (RR) blocks mitochondrial calcium uptake and thus decreases mitochondrial dehydrogenase activities. Perfusion with pyruvate increases pyruvate dehydrogenase activity. The mean response time was 11.8 +/- 0.7 s (means +/- SE) during control, 12.2 +/- 1.2 s during perfusion with 0.9 microgram/ml RR, and 20.7 +/- 3.4 s during perfusion with 2.1 micrograms/ml RR. Blockade with 0.9 microgram/ml RR, which is presumably partial, did not slow the response, suggesting that mitochondrial calcium uptake may not be rate limiting. Strong blockade of mitochondrial calcium uptake increases the mean response time, presumably due to decreased calcium activation of the mitochondrial dehydrogenases. Perfusion with pyruvate significantly decreased the mean response time to 10.0 +/- 1.4 s compared with 11.9 +/- 0.7 s during perfusion with glucose. This decrease with pyruvate is not compatible with a shift to regulation by high-energy phosphates but may reflect increased mitochondrial oxidative capacity caused by increased NADH levels.