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To study hexavalent chromium effects on mitochondrial electron transport, the activities of electron transport enzymes and conformational change of mitochondria treated with $40{\mu}M$ of sodium dichromate ($Na_{2}Cr_{2}O_{7}\;2H_{2}O$) were investigated. And so were those of liver mitochondria isolated from mouse intraperitoneally injected with sodium dichromate, 40mg per kg body weight. On both treatment with chromium(VI), the activities of electron transfer enzymes (Complex I and IV) were increased to some extent and the ultrastructural transformation of mitochondria from a condensed to an orthodox conformation was inhibited under State IV respiration. These results represent’’ inhibitory effect of hexavalent chromium on electron transport without inhibiting electron transfer enzymes (Complex I and IV) in mitochondria. On intraperitoneal treatment with hexavalent chromium as sodium dichromate and trivalent chromium as chromic chloride, containing 37.5 mg of chromium per kg body weight, respectively, the activities of electron transfer enzymes of liver isolated from mouse with chromium(VI) was reduced, but that with chromium(III) was not affected. And with chromium(VI), all mice after 12 hours of treatment died, only after 6 hours survived. With chromium(III), however, all survived. This indicates that hexavalent chromium is more toxic than trivalent chromiumin mouse liver.
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