Isolation of rat adrenocortical mitochondria

Highlights: ► A method for isolation of adrenocortical mitochondria from the adrenal gland of rats is described. ► The purified isolated mitochondria show excellent morphological integrity. ► The properties of oxidative phosphorylation are excellent. ► The method increases the opportunity of direct analysis of adrenal mitochondria from small animals. -- Abstract: This report describes a relatively simple and reliable method for isolating adrenocortical mitochondria from rats in good, reasonably pure yield. These organelles, which heretofore have been unobtainable in isolated form from small laboratory animals, are now readily accessible. A high degree of mitochondrial purity is shown by the electron micrographs, as well as the structural integrity of each mitochondrion. That these organelles have retained their functional integrity is shown by their high respiratory control ratios. In general, the biochemical performance of these adrenal cortical mitochondria closely mirrors that of typical hepatic or cardiac mitochondria.