가토 심실근에서 추출한 mitochondria에서 Na<sup>+</sup> 및 K<sup>+</sup>이온에 의한 Ca<sup>++</sup> 유리작용을 관찰하였다. 반응액에 첨가한 1-3mM의 소량 Na<sup>+</sup>은 mitochondria막에 미리 결합되어있던 Ca<sup>++</sup>을 현저히 유리시켰으며, K<sup>+</sup>은 단독으로는 Ca<sup>++</sup> 유리를 유도하지 않았으나 Na<sup>+</sup>에 의한 Ca<sup>++</sup> 유리에 대하여는 Na<sup>+</sup>/K<sup>+</sup>비에 따라 그것이 클수록 Ca<sup>++</sup> 유리를 증가시켰다. 간 및 신장 mitochondria에서도 Na<sup>+</sup>에 의하 Ca<sup>++</sup> 유리현상을 보였으나 심근mitochondria에 비하여 Na<sup>+</sup>에 대한 감수성이 훨씬 미약하여 약 1/10 ~ 1/5에 지나지 않았다. 이와같은 mitochondria의 Ca<sup>++</sup> 유리현상은 비교적 Na<sup>+</sup>에 특이한 작용이었으며 다른 일가양이온중에서는 =Li<sup>+</sup>에 의해서만 어느 정도 보였다. 부전심근 mitochondria에서의 Na<sup>+</sup>에 의한 Ca<sup>++</sup>유리는 정상심근 mitochondria에서와 같았으며 이때 digitalis 강심배당체가 직접적으로는 별 영향을 미치지 않았다. 이상에서 심근의 경우 mitochondria는 세포내 Ca<sup>++</sup>을 조절할 수 있는 기구로서 심근수축의 E-C coupling과정에서 세포막의 전기적 흥분현상과 결부하여 Ca<sup>++</sup>을 유리할 수 있을 것으로 추정하였으며, 한편 digitalis배당체의 강심작용기전에 있어서는 digitalis 배당체에 의한 세포막의 Na<sup>+</sup>, K<sup>+</sup>-ATPase 억제결과 초래될 수 있는 세포내의 Na<sup>+</sup> 증가 및(또는) K<sup>+</sup>감소가 간접적으로 mitochondria에서부터 Ca<sup>++</sup> 유리를 증가하여 E-C coupling 과정을 촉진할 수 있을 것을 사료하였다.
The Na<sup>+</sup>-and K<sup>+</sup>-induced Ca<sup>++</sup> release was measured isotopically by Milipore filter technique in mitochondria isolated from rabbit ventricles. The release of Ca<sup>++</sup> from mitochondria could be induced by 1-3 mM of Na<sup>+</sup> added in incubating medium under the presence of 0.5mM EGTA to prevent the released Ca<sup>++</sup> from rebinding with mitochondrial membrane. The amount of Ca<sup>++</sup> released was increased by increasing the concentration of Na<sup>+</sup> added. 100mM K<sup>+</sup>, in itself, did not induce the Ca<sup>++</sup> release from cardiac mitochondria, the Na<sup>+</sup>-induced Ca<sup>++</sup> release, however, was potentiated by the presence of K<sup>+</sup>. The potentiation of Na<sup>+</sup>-induced Ca<sup>++</sup> release by K<sup>+</sup> was proportional to the Na<sup>+</sup>/K<sup>+</sup> ratio presented in the incubating medium. Among the monovalent cations other than Na<sup>+</sup>, the release of Ca<sup>++</sup> from cardiac mitochondria was shared only by =Li<sup>+</sup>. The Na<sup>+</sup>-induced Ca<sup>++</sup> release could be also observed in the mitochondria isolated from liver and kidney. However, the Na<sup>+</sup> sensitivity was somewhat lower in liver and kidney mitochondria than in heart mitochondria. The release of Ca<sup>++</sup> induced by Na<sup>+</sup> in the mitochondria isolated from the experimentally produced failured heart was not different from that in the normal heart mitochondria, and was not directly modified by 10<sup>-6</sup> ~ 10<sup>-5</sup> M of Ouabain. From the experiments, it was suggested that the Ca<sup>++</sup> released from mitochondria by Na<sup>+</sup> could be used in excitation-contraction coupling process to initiate the contraction of the cardiac myofibrils. Futhermore, it appeared that the phenomenon of Ca<sup>++</sup> release from cardiac mitochondria by Na<sup>+</sup> and K<sup>+</sup> might be related to the inotropic effect of digitalis glycoside which could bring about the increase of Na<sup>+</sup> or the reduction of K<sup>+</sup> intracellulary through the inhibition of Na<sup>+</sup>, K<sup>+</sup>-ATPase.