To address the apparent discrepancy between cultured cells and whole heart preparations, Langendorff-perfused rat hearts loaded with hexakis (2-methoxyisobutyl isonitrile) technetium (I) (99mTc-MIBI) were fractionated by a standard differential centrifugation method and fractional contents of 99mTc-MIBI were correlated with the mitochondrial marker, malate dehydrogenase (MDH), and mitochondrial substrates. The "cytosolic" fraction nominally contained 89% +/- 3% of total 99mTc-MIBI, but also contained 91% +/- 1% of total MDH activity by this method. Chromatographic analysis of activity in the "cytosolic" fraction demonstrated greater than 95% of the agent was present as the original free cationic complex; binding to a small molecular weight cytosolic protein was not involved in localization. Addition of the mitochondrial uncoupler CCCP (5 microM) to both "mitochondrial" and "cell fragment" pellets released up to 84% +/- 8% of 99mTc-MIBI content and addition of the mitochondrial substrate succinate (10 microM) in the presence of rotenone (1 microM) enhanced 99mTc-MIBI content by up to 139% +/- 52% over the control. These correlative data from rat hearts indicate that approximately 90% of 99mTc-MIBI activity in vivo is associated with mitochondria in an energy-dependent manner as a free cationic complex, but migrates during fractionation/centrifugation.