Impairment of mitochondrial electron transport by tetrachloroethylene.

Impairment of electron transport was studied in rat liver sonicated submitochondrial particles. The most susceptible portion was located from NADH dehydrogenase to coenzyme Q. Tetrachloroethylene increased the Michaelis constant (Km) and decreased the maximum velocity (Vmax) of cytochrome c reduction by NADH-cytochrome c reductase. The results suggest that tetrachloroethylene does not represent a specific inhibitor of the particular carrier but decreased the electron flow at the susceptible portion in the mitochondrial inner membrane.