OXIDATIVE-METABOLISM IN A RAT HEPATOMA (N-13) AND ISOLATED RAT HEPATOCYTES - A FLOW CYTOMETRIC COMPARATIVE-STUDY

Recently, we have developed a new and fast kinetic method for assessin g mitochondrial membrane potential by flow cytometry, based on the qua ntitation of the initial rate of rhodamine 123 (Rh123) uptake by livin g cells. This test has proved suitable to detect metabolic and toxic e ffects on mitochondria. To characterize energy metabolism in a rat hep atoma cell line (N13), we applied this method to assess several metabo lic pathways that eventually generate mitochondrial membrane potential . Using this approach, we found that N13 hepatoma cells retain an oxid ative capacity comparable with that observed in isolated hepatocytes u nder the same conditions, These results show that this cell line may r epresent an adequate biological model to perform metabolic and toxicol ogical studies in vitro.