Abstract
To evaluate the acute effects of inorganic lead on oxidative metabolism in hepatocytes, intact liver cells were isolated from hamsters and incubated with solutions of Pbcl 2 . These cells were found to be relatively resistant to respiratory inhibition as compared to liver homogenates. That is, in the presence of 1 mM PbCl 2 , the rate of oxygen consumption of the intact cells was approximately 6% less than that of controls. In contrast, the respiratory rates of liver homogenates treated with 1 mM PbCl 2 were about 70% lower than controls. The resistance of the intact cells persisted even after 41/2 h of incubation with the lead and appears to reflect the protective influence of the plasma membrane.