The oxygen free radicals originating from mitochondrial complex I contribute to oxidative brain injury following hypoxia-ischemia in neonatal mice.

Oxidative stress and Ca(2+) toxicity are mechanisms of hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury. This work investigates if partial inhibition of mitochondrial respiratory chain protects HI brain by limiting a generation of oxidative radicals during reperfusion. HI insult was produced in p10 mice treated with complex I (C-I) inhibitor, pyridaben, or vehicle. Administration of P significantly decreased the extent of HI injury. Mitochondria isolated from the ischemic hemisphere in pyridaben-treated animals showed reduced H(2)O(2) emission, less oxidative damage to the mitochondrial matrix, and increased tolerance to the Ca(2+)-triggered opening of the permeability transition pore. A protective effect of pyridaben administration was also observed when the reperfusion-driven oxidative stress was augmented by the exposure to 100% O(2) which exacerbated brain injury only in vehicle-treated mice. In vitro, intact brain mitochondria dramatically increased H(2)O(2) emission in response to hyperoxia, resulting in substantial loss of Ca(2+) buffering capacity. However, in the presence of the C-I inhibitor, rotenone, or the antioxidant, catalase, these effects of hyperoxia were abolished. Our data suggest that the reperfusion-driven recovery of C-I-dependent mitochondrial respiration contributes not only to the cellular survival, but also causes oxidative damage to the mitochondria, potentiating a loss of Ca(2+) buffering capacity. This highlights a novel neuroprotective strategy against HI brain injury where the major therapeutic principle is a pharmacological attenuation, rather than an enhancement of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism during early reperfusion.

Mechanical ventilation causes pulmonary mitochondrial dysfunction and delayed alveolarization in neonatal mice.

Hyperoxia inhibits pulmonary bioenergetics, causing delayed alveolarization in mice. We hypothesized that mechanical ventilation (MV) also causes a failure of bioenergetics to support alveolarization. To test this hypothesis, neonatal mice were ventilated with room air for 8 hours (prolonged) or for 2 hours (brief) with 15 µl/g (aggressive) tidal volume (Tv), or for 8 hours with 8 µl/g (gentle) Tv. After 24 hours or 10 days of recovery, lung mitochondria were examined for adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-phosphorylating respiration, using complex I (C-I)-dependent, complex II (C-II)-dependent, or cytochrome C oxidase (C-IV)-dependent substrates, ATP production rate, and the activity of C-I and C-II. A separate cohort of mice was exposed to 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), a known uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation. At 10 days of recovery, pulmonary alveolarization and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were assessed. Sham-operated littermates were used as control mice. At 24 hours after aggressive MV, mitochondrial ATP production rates and the activity of C-I and C-II were significantly decreased compared with control mice. However, at 10 days of recovery, only mice exposed to prolonged-aggressive MV continued to exhibit significantly depressed mitochondrial respiration. This was associated with significantly poorer alveolarization and VEGF expression. In contrast, mice exposed to brief-aggressive or prolonged-gentle MV exhibited restored mitochondrial ADP-phosphorylation, normal alveolarization and pulmonary VEGF content. Exposure to DNP fully replicated the phenotype consistent with alveolar developmental arrest. Our data suggest that the failure of bioenergetics to support normal lung development caused by aggressive and prolonged ventilation should be considered a fundamental mechanism for the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature neonates.

Nelfinavir inhibits intra-mitochondrial calcium influx and protects brain against hypoxic-ischemic injury in neonatal mice.

Nelfinavir (NLF), an antiretroviral agent, preserves mitochondrial membranes integrity and protects mature brain against ischemic injury in rodents. Our study demonstrates that in neonatal mice NLF significantly limits mitochondrial calcium influx, the event associated with protection of the brain against hypoxic-ischemic insult (HI). Compared to the vehicle-treated mice, cerebral mitochondria from NLF-treated mice exhibited a significantly greater tolerance to the Ca(2+)-induced membrane permeabilization, greater ADP-phosphorylating activity and reduced cytochrome C release during reperfusion. Pre-treatment with NLF or Ruthenium red (RuR) significantly improved viability of murine hippocampal HT-22 cells, reduced Ca(2+) content and preserved membrane potential (Ψm) in mitochondria following oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Following histamine-stimulated Ca(2+) release from endoplasmic reticulum, in contrast to the vehicle-treated cells, the cells treated with NLF or RuR also demonstrated reduced Ca(2+) content in their mitochondria, the event associated with preserved Ψm. Because RuR inhibits mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter, we tested whether the NLF acts via the mechanism similar to the RuR. However, in contrast to the RuR, in the experiment with direct interaction of these agents with mitochondria isolated from naïve mice, the NLF did not alter mitochondrial Ca(2+) influx, and did not prevent Ca(2+) induced collapse of the Ψm. These data strongly argues against interaction of NLF and mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter. Although the exact mechanism remains unclear, our study is the first to show that NLF inhibits intramitochondrial Ca(2+) flux and protects developing brain against HI-reperfusion injury. This novel action of NLF has important clinical implication, because it targets a fundamental mechanism of post-ischemic cell death: intramitochondrial Ca(2+) overload → mitochondrial membrane permeabilization → secondary energy failure.