A simple procedure is developed for estimation of the damage rate of inner membrane of heart mitochondria. In the assay the rate of succinate oxidation was measured using bromthymol blue as an inhibitor of succinate transport. Bromthymol blue at low concentration (12 microM) functioned as a mixed type inhibitor of succinate oxidation, whereas at high concentrations--as uncompetitive inhibitor. Polarographic registration of cytochrome c content and of the rate of ascorbate oxidation in the samples containing Triton X-100 and free of the detergent was more sensitive procedure as compared with spectrophotometric measurement of reduced cytochrome c oxidation in estimation of the damage rate of outer mitochondrial membranes. The damage rates of outer and inner membranes of heart mitochondria isolated by a procedure which included the treatment with trypsin were equal to 8.43 +/- 0.74% and 8.04 +/- 1.9%, respectively, while in those isolated without the trypsin treatment--12.8 +/- 1.5% and 13.3 +/- 1.8%, respectively.