[Mitochondrial and lysosomal membrane stability following administration of excessive doses of vitamin A in vivo].

Stability of mitochondrial and lysosomal membranes was studied in growing rats under conditions of hypervitaminosis A. The membrane stability was evaluated by the rate of solubilization of marker mitochondrial enzyme--malate dehydrogenase, and of lysosomal enzyme--beta-galactosidase, using incubation of the isolated organelles with gradually increasing concentrations of Triton X-100. High doses of vitamin A did not affect the total activity of the enzymes studied but distinctly increased the rate of malate dehydrogenase and beta-galactosidase solubilization, caused by Triton X-100, as compared with controls. This suggests the increase in sensitivity of the organelle membranes to the effect of Triton X-100 in the hypervitaminosis A, which is apparently related to pronounced impairment of the membrane structure.