Mitochondria sustain cellular life through energy production but also mediate programmed cell death. ATP production is mainly via cellular respiration, which is driven by the voltage gradient (ΔΨ m ) across the inner mitochondrial membrane that drives proton flux through the F 0 F 1 –ATP synthase. Extremely low resting inner mitochondrial membrane permeability is critical to maintain high ΔΨ m ...

Mitochondria from transgenic mice, expressing enzymatically active mitochondrial creatine kinase in liver, were analyzed for opening of the permeability transition pore in the absence and presence of creatine kinase substrates but with no external adenine nucleotides added. In mitochondria from these transgenic mice, cyclosporin A-inhibited pore opening was delayed by creatine or cyclocreatine ...

Leukotoxin, a cytochrome P450-derived epoxide of linoleic acid, has been implicated as a causative factor in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Conversion of this fatty acid epoxide to leukotoxin diol by epoxide hydrolase has been hypothesized as the critical activation step in leukotoxin-induced cellular toxicity. In both human and insect cells, we observed that leukotoxin diol causes acute ...

Mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) is a transient structure formed in the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) upon oxidative challenge of the organelle. The transition is a Ca 2+ -dependent increase of permeability of IMM leading to loss of transmembrane potential (∆ψm), mitochondrial swelling and, finally, rupture of outer mitochondrial membrane leading to release of factors caus...

This study evaluated the effect of hydroxytamoxifen, the major active metabolite of tamoxifen (synthetic, nonsteroidal antiestrogen drug), on the function of brain mitochondria. We observed that only high concentrations of hydroxytamoxifen (60 nmol/mg protein) induced a significant decrease in RCR, while ADP/O ratio remained statistically unchanged. Similarly, only the highest concentration of ...

Mitochondrial swelling techniques were used to evaluate the effects of the aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamicin on renal cortical mitochondrial monovalent cation permeability. Gentamicin behaved like EDTA to enhance energy-dependent Na+and K+-acetate uptake with a relatively greater effect on Na+-acetate uptake. MgZ+ prevented and reversed the effects of both EDTA and gentamicin. Neither agent ...

Mitochondria synthesize select phospholipids but lack the machinery for synthesis of the most abundant mitochondrial phospholipid, phosphatidylcholine (PC). Although the phospholipid transfer protein Stard7 promotes uptake of PC by mitochondria, the importance of this pathway for mitochondrial and cellular homeostasis represents a significant knowledge gap. Haploinsufficiency for Stard7 is asso...

6- mercaptopurine (6-mp) is widely used in clinic as an immunosuppressive for treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia, crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis with documented unpredictable hepatotoxicity. the potential molecular cytotoxic mechanisms of 6-mp against isolated rat hepatocytes were searched in this study using “accelerated cytotoxicity mechanism screening (acms)” techniques. t...

High saturated fat diets improve cardiac function and survival in rodent models of heart failure, which may be mediated by changes in mitochondrial function. Dietary supplementation with the n3-polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n3) is also beneficial in heart failure and can affect mitochondrial function. Saturated fatty acids and DHA likely have opposing effects on mito...