Mitochondrial deficiency

Zhang et al. [602] investigated the effects of icariin (ICA) on the content of Ap and the expression of neurotrophic factors in the brain of mitochondrial deficiency model rats. Chronic infusion of sodium azide by minipump induced a decrease in the activity of mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase, an increase in the content of Ap, and a marked decline in the expression of NGF, BDNF, and its receptor TrkB in the brain of rats. Intragastric administration of ICA ameliorated all these abnormalities in the model rats, increasing mitochondrial activity, inhibiting Ap production, and enhancing the expression of neurotrophic factors in the brain of model rats induced by sodium azide. 

Zhang RY, Zhang L, Ai HX, Zhang L, Li L (2013) Effects oficariin on beta-amyloid and neurotrophic factors in brain of mitochondrial deficiency model rats. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi 38 1285-1289... 

The physician should inform the laboratory about the clinical findings to ensure an adequate analysis. It is important to discuss which type of tissue or cell is preferable in each individual case, thereby causing the patient as little inconvenience as possible. Tissue-specific expression of mitochondrial deficiencies renders fibroblasts and lymphocytes less universally appropriate than skeletal muscle. 

H. Schneckenburger, A. Ruck, O. Haferkamp Energy transfer microscopy for probing mitochondrial deficiencies. Analyt. Chimica Acta 227, 227 (1988)... 

Table V. Mitochondrial Deficiencies in Chromosomal Pleiotropic Respiratory-Deficient Mutants of Schizosaccharomyces pombe...

The decline in immune function may pardy depend on a deficiency of coenzyme Q, a group of closely related quinone compounds (ubiquinones) that participate in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (49). Concentrations of coenzyme Q (specifically coenzyme Q q) appear to decline with age in several organs, most notably the thymus. 

This complex consists of at least 25 separate polypeptides, seven of which are encoded by mtDNA. Its catalytic action is to transfer electrons from NADH to ubiquinone, thus replenishing NAD concentrations. Complex I deficiency has been described in myopathic syndromes, characterized by exercise intolerance and lactic acidemia. In at least some patients it has been demonstrated that the defect is tissue specific and a defect in nuclear DNA is assumed. Muscle biopsy findings in these patients are typical of those in many respiratory chain abnormalities. Instead of the even distribution of mitochondria seen in normal muscle fibers, mitochondria are seen in dense clusters, especially at the fiber periphery, giving rise to the ragged-red fiber (Figure 10). This appearance is a hallmark of many mitochondrial myopathies. 

In addition to the conditions described above, which involve deficiencies of individual respiratory complexes, there is another important group of mitochondrial disorders which are associated with defects of multiple respiratory complexes. The underlying abnormalities in these disorders are to be found within the mitochondrial genome, which encodes some subunits of all the respiratory complexes except complex II (Figure 12). 

The condition known as fatal infantile mitochondrial myopathy and renal dysfunction involves severe diminution or absence of most oxidoreductases of the respiratory chain. MELAS (mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke) is an inherited condition due to NADHiubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) or cytochrome oxidase deficiency. It is caused by a muta-... 

Rats fed a purified nonlipid diet containing vitamins A and D exhibit a reduced growth rate and reproductive deficiency which may be cured by the addition of linoleic, a-linolenic, and arachidonic acids to the diet. These fatty acids are found in high concentrations in vegetable oils (Table 14-2) and in small amounts in animal carcasses. These essential fatty acids are required for prostaglandin, thromboxane, leukotriene, and lipoxin formation (see below), and they also have various other functions which are less well defined. Essential fatty acids are found in the stmctural lipids of the cell, often in the 2 position of phospholipids, and are concerned with the structural integrity of the mitochondrial membrane. 

In vivo, patients treated with AZT develop a mitochondrial myopathy with mitochondrial DNA depletion, deficiency of cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV), intracellular fat accumulation, high lactate production and marked phosphocreatine depletion (Lewis and Dalakas 1995 Dalakas 2001). Clinically, the patient presents with fatigue, myalgia, muscle weakness, wasting and elevated serum creatine kinase. Muscle biopsy shows ragged red fibers , the characteristic histopathologic changes of mitochondrial myopathy, cansed by subsarcolemmal accumulation of mitochondria (Lewis and Dalakas 1995). 

The well-known fact that in irreversibly damaged cells, respiratory control is lost and is accompanied by oxidation of cytochromes a and as, as well as NADH (Taegtmeyer et al., 1985), was originally thoug it to be due to substrate deficiency (Chance and Williams, 1955) but may be due to an enzymatic defect resulting in an inability to metabolize NADH-linked substrates (Pelican etal., 1987). It seems likely therefore that return of function is dependent on preservation of mitochondrial membrane integrity, and the structure and activities of respiratory chain (R.C) complexes I-IV (Chance and Williams, 1955). 

In the bile-duct-ligated rat, hepatic mitochondrial lipid peroxides are increased and correlate with serum levels of alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin and alanine aminotransferase (Sokol et al., 1991). Dietary vitamin E deficiency resulted in relatively higher lipid peroxide and bilirubin... 

Acute leukemia, acute lymphoma, short-bowel syndrome, liver disease (decreased clearance), diabetes mellitus, mitochondrial disease, and congenital enzyme deficiencies... 

Human creatine kinase -MM MAK33 IgGl Cardiac disease, mitochondrial disorders, inflammatory myopathies, myasthenia, polymyositis, McArdle s disease, NMJ disorders, muscular dystrophy, ALS, hypo and hyperthyroid disorders, central core disease, acid maltase deficiency, myoglobinuria, rhabdomyolysis, motor neuron diseases, A. thaliana A. thaliana 2S2 seed storage protein SP + 0.02-0.4% TSP of fresh leaf extract (10-12% TSP of intercellular fluid) 52... 

Calcium oxalate monohydrate responsible for the formation of most kidney stones significantly increased mitochondrial superoxide production in renal epithelial cells [42], Recombinant human interleukin IL-(3 induced oxygen radical generation in alveolar epithelial cells, which was suppressed by mitochondrial inhibitors 4 -hydroxy-3 -methoxyacetophe-none and diphenylene iodonium [43]. Espositio et al. [44] found that mitochondrial oxygen radical formation depended on the expression of adenine nucleotide translocator Anti. Correspondingly, mitochondria from skeletal muscle, heart, and brain from the Antl-deficient mice sharply increased the production of hydrogen peroxide. 

Some other examples of free radical formation in various pathologies are discussed below. (Of course, they are only few examples among many others, which can be found in literature.) Mitochondrial diseases are associated with superoxide overproduction [428] and cytochrome c release [429], For example, mitochondrial superoxide production apparently contributes to hippocampal pathology produced by kainate [430]. It has been found that erythrocytes from iron deficiency anemia are more susceptible to oxidative stress than normal cells but have a good capacity for recovery [431]. The beneficial effects of treatment of iron deficiency anemia with iron dextran and iron polymaltose complexes have been shown [432,433]. 

Thiamine deficiency results in early decreases in activity of the mitochondrial enzyme a-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase in brain. Wernicke s encephalopathy, also known as the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by ophthalmoplegia, ataxia and memory loss. Wernicke s encephalopathy is encountered in chronic alcoholism, in patients with HIV-AIDS and in other disorders associated with grossly impaired nutritional status. The condition results from thiamine deficiency. 

The cause is defective transport of dibasic amino acids by the proximal tubule and intestine. The transport defect occurs at the basolateral rather than the luminal membrane. Hyperammonemia reflects a deficiency of intra-mitochondrial ornithine. An effective treatment is oral citrulline supplementation, which corrects the hyperammonemia by allowing replenishment of the mitochondrial pool of ornithine. 

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase deficiency is an autosomal recessive myopathy caused by a genetic defect of the mitochondrial enzyme CPT (Fig. 42-2). The disease is prevalent in men (male female ratio, 5.5 1) and appears to be the most common cause of recurrent myoglobinuria in adults [4]. 

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