Cigarette smoke exposure increases lung ceramide biosynthesis and alters metabolic function. We hypothesized that ceramides are released from the lung during cigarette smoke exposure and result in elevated skeletal muscle ceramide levels, resulting in insulin resistance and altered mitochondrial respiration. Employing cell and animal models, we explored the effect of cigarette smoke on muscle c...

Generation of various kinds of trans-mitochondrial mice, mito-mice, each carrying mtDNAs with a different pathogenic mutation, is required for precise investigation of the pathogenesis of mitochondrial diseases. This study used two respiration-deficient mouse cell lines as donors of mtDNAs with possible pathogenic mutations. One cell line expressed 45-50% respiratory activity due to mouse mtDNA...

SZENT-GYORGYI and his co-workers [1935; 1936] and Stare & Baumann [1936] have recently shown that certain simple organic molecules such as fumarate, oxaloacetate and pyruvate take part as catalysts in cellular respiration. The function of these catalysts in respiration can be conveniently formulated as transport of hydrogen and for our present purpose they will therefore be termed "hydrogen car...

The effect of salicylic acid (SA) on respiration and mitochondrial function was examined in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) suspension cell cultures in the range of 0.01 to 5 mm. Cells rapidly accumulated SA up to 10-fold of the externally applied concentrations. At the lower concentrations, SA accumulation was transitory. When applied at 0.1 mm or less, SA stimulated respiration of whole cells and...

Many anticancer drugs act on cancer cells to promote apoptosis, which includes impairment of cellular respiration (mitochondrial O(2) consumption). Other agents also inhibit cellular respiration, sometimes irreversibly. To investigate the sensitivity of cancer cells to cytotoxins, including anticancer drugs, we compare the profiles of cellular O(2) consumption in the absence and presence of the...

The effect of certain chemotherapeutic agents upon the metabolism of human ascites and leukemic leukocytes was investigated. Human leukemic blast cells show 2-3 times the respiratory activity of “chronic” cells. From a study of the effects of eight chemotherapeutic drugs upon the respiration of human leukemic leukocytes and human ascites cells, relative index of cell sensitivity was obtained. T...

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a class of ideal technologies that function via anaerobic respiration of electricigens, which bring current generation and environmental restoration together. An in-depth understanding of microbial metabolism is of great importance in engineering microbes to further improve their respiration. We employed flux balance analysis and selected Fe(iii) as a substitute ...

Cellulase, polygalacturonase (PG), pectinmethylesterase (PME), respiration, and ethylene production were determined in single "Fuerte" avocado fruits from the day of harvest through the start of fruit breakdown. PME declined from its maximum value at the time of picking to a low level early in the climacteric. PG activity was not detectable in the preclimacteric stage, increased during the clim...