Effect of Dinitrophenol on the Oxygen Uptake of Rat Tissue

Abstract

The observation by Cutting and Tainter 1 of a marked acceleration of the metabolism of animals injected with small quantities of dinitrophenol stimulated a study of the effect of the injection of the dinitrophenol on the oxygen uptake of rat tissues. Rats were injected with the sodium salt of dinitrophenol (40 mg. per kilo of body weight). After a period of from 30 to 40 minutes the animals were killed by a blow on the head and the oxygen uptake of the tissue determined as quickly as possible, employing the technique previously described. 2 The respiratory quotient was determined as described by Richardson. 3

Table I presents the results which were obtained employing rat liver. It is seen that when phosphate Ringer's solution was employed, the oxygen uptake of rat liver slices obtained from the injected animals was essentially the same as that obtained with the control. The oxygen uptake of the liver tissue obtained from injected animals, when suspended in phosphate Ringer's solution containing glucose, was slightly less than that of the control liver. The respiratory quotient of the liver tissue from injected animals was lower than that of the control liver.

Experiments are now in progress in which observations are being made on the oxygen uptake of other rat tissues and also experiments dealing with the effect of the dinitrophenol on the oxygen uptake of rat tissue in vitro.