Glucocorticoid effects on respiration and metabolism by rat liver homogenates

¹ Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma

The effects of glucocorticoid administration on oxygen uptake, glucose and glycogen disappearance, lactic acid formation, and inorganic phosphate and protein levels in rat liver homogenates have been studied. A single injection of hydrocortisone, prednisolone, or 9 -fluoroprednisolone 5 hr before sacrifice resulted in a highly significant increase in oxygen uptake by rat liver homogenates, whereas chronic administration of prednisolone daily for 7 days caused a marked inhibition in homogenate respiration. Glycolytic rate did not appear to be affected by single injections since endogenous carbohydrate utilization was similar in liver homogenates prepared from control and treated animals. Incubation of liver homogenates under aerobic conditions disclosed that inorganic phosphate levels were decreased in homogenates from corticoid-treated rats, whereas these levels were similar in treated and control liver homogenates incubated under nitrogen. Under anaerobic conditions, liver homogenates from treated rats accumulated lactic acid more rapidly than untreated liver homogenates. Glucocorticoid treatment did not appear to affect protein disappearance since no differences between protein levels in treated and untreated rat liver homogenates were detected following incubation.