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Opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore causes depletion of mitochondrial and cytosolic NAD and is a causative event in the death of myocytes in postischemic reperfution of the heart
Metabolomic identification of substrates for monoamine oxidases in hearts subjected to oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress plays a key role in cardiac diseases, although the sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have not been defined conclusively. Recent studies demonstrated that the mitochondrial enzymes monoamine oxidases (MAO) are a major source of ROS in reperfusion injury and decompensated hypertrophy. The present study characterized the molecular mechanisms responsible for the increased activity of MAO. Based upon available information, the activity of these enzymes depends mostly on substrate availability. Therefore, we aimed at identifying the major substrates of MAO in hearts undergoing oxidative stress. Mass spectrometry was used to identify and quantitate potential substrates by comparing their contents in the absence and the presence of MAO inhibition.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
Firstly, we applied a metabolomic profiling method to investigate changes in amine contents in isolated mouse hearts, by means of a LC-MS/MS approach in the precursor ion scanning mode. Maximal oxidative stress was induced by perfusing isolated mouse hearts with 1 mM hydrogen peroxide for 15 min. Addition of 0.5 mM pargyline to the perfusion buffer 10 min before hydrogen peroxide resulted in a significant increased content of the typical MAO substrates serotonin and epinephrine, along with histamine and its product N1-methyl histamine. N1-methyl histamine was found to be the more aboundant metabolite and its content displayed a 180% increase in pargyline-treated hearts, as compared to the untreated ones. The accumulation of MAO substrates upon pargyline treatment correlated with a reduced MAO-dependent production of hydrogen peroxide. In fact we observed a decreased extent of (i) oxidation of myofibrillar proteins, as detected by disulfide bond formation in tropomyosin (Western blot under non reducing conditions), and (ii) ROS levels in tissue, as detected by dihydroethidine (DHE) staining. Surprisingly, these findings imply that the profound injury induced by H2O2 administration is not due to a direct action. Indeed, H2O2 perfusion appears to trigger an amplification pathway whereby the increase in MAO activity due to a larger substrate availability is the end-effector of the initial oxidative stress.
CONCLUSIONS:
This study provides the first information on endogenous substrates of MAO becoming available under conditions of oxidative stress that is then amplified by the increased MAO activity. The identification of histamine and N1-methyl histamine, that are involved in neurotransmission and immune response, suggests a significant trafficking of MAO substrates between myocytes and non-myocyte cells in the heart
Mitochondria and cardioprotection
Major factors linking mitochondrial dysfunction with myocardial injury are analyzed along with protective mechanisms elicited by endogenous processes and pharmacological treatments. In particular, a reduced rate of ATP hydrolysis and a slight increase in ROS formation appear to represent the prevailing components of self-defense mechanisms, especially in the case of ischemic preconditioning. These protective processes are activated by signaling pathways, which converge on mitochondria activating the mitochondrial K(ATP) channels and/or inhibiting the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. These pathways can also be stimulated by pharmacological treatments. Another major goal for cardioprotection is decreasing the burst in mitochondrial ROS formation that characterizes post-ischemic reperfusion. Finally, mitochondrial targets for therapeutic intervention may include the switch of substrate being utilized, because inhibition of fatty acid oxidation is associated with cardioprotective effects
Involvement of erythrocyte calpain in glycine- and carnitine-treated isovaleric acidemia.
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore causes depletion of mitochondrial and cytosolic NAD(+) and is a causative event in the death of myocytes in postischemic reperfusion of the heart
The opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) has been suggested to play a key role in various forms of cell death, but direct evidence in intact tissues is still lacking. We found that in the rat heart, 92% of NAD(+) glycohydrolase activity is associated with mitochondria. This activity was not modified by the addition of Triton X-100, although it was abolished by mild treatment with the protease Nagarse, a condition that did not affect the energy-linked properties of mitochondria. The addition of Ca(2+) to isolated rat heart mitochondria resulted in a profound decrease in their NAD(+) content, which followed mitochondrial swelling. Cyclosporin A(CsA), a PTP inhibitor, completely prevented NAD(+) depletion but had no effect on the glycohydrolase activity. Thus, in isolated mitochondria PTP opening makes NAD(+) available for its enzymatic hydrolysis. Perfused rat hearts subjected to global ischemia for 30 min displayed a 30% decrease in tissue NAD(+) content, which was not modified by extending the duration of ischemia. Reperfusion resulted in a more severe reduction of both total and mitochondrial contents of NAD(+), which could be measured in the coronary effluent together with lactate dehydrogenase. The addition of 0.2 microm CsA or of its analogue MeVal-4-Cs (which does not inhibit calcineurin) maintained higher NAD(+) contents, especially in mitochondria, and significantly protected the heart from reperfusion damage, as shown by the reduction in lactate dehydrogenase release. Thus, upon reperfusion after prolonged ischemia, PTP opening in the heart can be documented as a CsA-sensitive release of NAD(+), which is then partly degraded by glycohydrolase and partly released when sarcolemmal integrity is compromised. These results demonstrate that PTP opening is a causative event in reperfusion damage of the heart
Myocyte survival against calcium overload or simulated ischemia is improved by overexpression of the stress and calcium-binding protein GRP94
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