scholarly journals Role of Calcium and Mitochondria in MeHg-Mediated Cytotoxicity

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Roos ◽  
Rodrigo Seeger ◽  
Robson Puntel ◽  
Nilda Vargas Barbosa

Methylmercury (MeHg) mediated cytotoxicity is associated with loss of intracellular calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis. The imbalance in Ca2+physiology is believed to be associated with dysregulation of Ca2+intracellular stores and/or increased permeability of the biomembranes to this ion. In this paper we summarize the contribution of glutamate dyshomeostasis in intracellular Ca2+overload and highlight the mitochondrial dysfunctions induced by MeHg via Ca2+overload. Mitochondrial disturbances elicited by Ca2+may involve several molecular events (i.e., alterations in the activity of the mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes, mitochondrial proton gradient dissipation, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening, thiol depletion, failure of energy metabolism, reactive oxygen species overproduction) that could culminate in cell death. Here we will focus on the role of oxidative stress in these phenomena. Additionally, possible antioxidant therapies that could be effective in the treatment of MeHg intoxication are briefly discussed.

2011 ◽  
Vol 109 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany T Nguyen ◽  
Mark V Stevens ◽  
Mark J Kohr ◽  
Charles Steenbergen ◽  
Michael N Sack ◽  
...  

S-nitrosylation (SNO), a reversible, redox-dependent post-translational modification, has emerged as an important mechanism for dynamic regulation of many proteins. Our previous studies have shown that protein S-nitrosylation (SNO) plays a protective role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury. The primary mediator of cell death in I/R injury is activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Using a proteomic approach, we have previously found that cyclophilin D (CypD), a critical mPTP regulator, can be SNO on cysteine 203 (C203). To investigate whether SNO of CypD might attenuate mPTP activation, we mutated cysteine 203 of CypD, to a serine residue (C203S) and determined its effects on mPTP opening by assessing H 2 O 2 -induced mPTP opening using the calcein AM-cobalt chloride quenching method. Treatment of CypD -/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) with H 2 O 2 resulted loss in an ≈50 % loss of mPTP opening as compared to WT MEFs (n=5, p<0.05), consistent with the protective role of CypD in mPTP activation. Addition of a nitric oxide donor, GSNO, to CypD -/- MEFs did not further reduce mPTP opening; however, WT MEFs treated GSNO attenuated mPTP opening by half. To elucidate the role of SNO of C203 on CypD, we infected CypD -/- MEFs with a C203S-CypD vector. C203S-CypD re-constituted MEFs were also resistant to mPTP opening in the presence or absence of GSNO. This suggests that C203 is required for mPTP activation. To determine whether in vivo expression of C203S-CypD would alter mPTP opening, we generated adenovirus vectors encoding WT CypD or mutated C203S-CypD and injected these viral particles into CypD -/- mice via tail-vein. Mitochondria isolated from livers of CypD -/- mice or mice expressing C203S-CypD were resistant to Ca 2+ -induced swelling as compared to WT CypD reconstituted mice. In summary, our results indicate that C203 of CypD is required for mPTP opening and for the first time shows that SNO of C203 on CypD acts to attenuate mPTP activation.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinkun Xi ◽  
Yonggui He ◽  
Shuo Fei ◽  
Huan Zheng ◽  
Zhelong Xu

While the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury has been extensively investigated, the precise mechanism by which inhibition of ERS induces cardioprotection remains unclear. We aimed to explore the mechanism of ERS inhibition-induced cardioprotection against I/R injury, focusing on the role of Zn 2+ and the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Exposure of H9c2 cells to 800 μM H 2 O 2 for 20 min increased GRP78 and GRP94 expressions (296.2 ± 41.0 and 150.6 ± 13.5 %, respectively), suggesting that H 2 O 2 can induce ERS. Cells treated with H 2 O 2 showed a significant decrease (40.6 ± 7.4 %) in TMRE fluorescence compared to the normal group (92.6 ± 0.1 %), indicating that H 2 O 2 can induce the mPTP opening. In contrast, ERS inhibitor TUDCA (30 μM) prevented the loss of TMRE fluorescence (77.8 ± 6.8 %), implying that inhibition of ERS can prevent the mPTP opening. This effect of TUDCA was blocked by zinc chelator TPEN (37.7 ± 13.0 %), indicating a role of Zn 2+ in the action of TUDCA on the mPTP opening. In support, TUDCA increased intracellular free zinc, as indicated by a marked increase in Newport Green DCF fluorescence intensity. In isolated rat hearts, GRP78 expression was not increased during ischemia but was increased upon reperfusion (1.3, 1.5, 1.9, and 1.6-fold increases at 10, 30, 60, and 120 min of reperfusion). Hearts treated with TUDCA showed a significant reduction of GRP78 expression 30 and 60 min after the onset of reperfusion, an effect that was reversed by TPEN. The immunofluorescence study also showed that the effect of TUDCA on GRP78 expression was reversed by TPEN. TUDCA reduced infarct size, and this was reversed by the mPTP opener atractyloside, indicating that ERS inhibition may protect the heart by modulating the mPTP opening. Experiments with transmission electron microscopy and hematoxylin-eosin staining revealed that TUDCA prevented endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial damages at reperfusion, which was blocked by TPEN. In conclusion, reperfusion but not ischemia initiates ERS and inhibition of ERS protects the heart from reperfusion injury through prevention of the mPTP opening. Increased intracellular free Zn 2+ accounts for the cardioprotective effect of ERS inhibition.


2019 ◽  
Vol 171 (2) ◽  
pp. 473-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaunrick Stoll ◽  
Jing Xi ◽  
Ben Ma ◽  
Christiana Leimena ◽  
Erik J Behringer ◽  
...  

Abstract Stress-induced mitochondrial calcium (Ca2+) overload is a key cellular toxic effectors and a trigger of cardiomyocyte death during cardiac ischemic injury through the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). We previously found that the valosin-containing protein (VCP), an ATPase-associated protein, protects cardiomyocytes against stress-induced death and also inhibits mPTP opening in vitro. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we tested our hypothesis that VCP acts as a novel regulator of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake proteins and resists cardiac mitochondrial Ca2+ overload by modulating mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis. By using a cardiac-specific transgenic (TG) mouse model in which VCP is overexpressed by 3.5 folds in the heart compared to the wild type (WT) mouse, we found that, under the pathological extra-mitochondrial Ca2+ overload, Ca2+ entry into cardiac mitochondria was reduced in VCP TG mice compared to their little-matched WT mice, subsequently preventing mPTP opening and ATP depletion under the Ca2+ challenge. Mechanistically, overexpression of VCP in the heart resulted in post-translational protein degradation of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake protein 1, an activator of the mitochondria Ca2+ uniporter that is responsible for mitochondrial calcium uptake. Together, our results reveal a new regulatory role of VCP in cardiac mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis and unlock the potential mechanism by which VCP confers its cardioprotection.


2012 ◽  
Vol 139 (5) ◽  
pp. 321-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lea K. Seidlmayer ◽  
Maria R. Gomez-Garcia ◽  
Lothar A. Blatter ◽  
Evgeny Pavlov ◽  
Elena N. Dedkova

Mitochondrial dysfunction caused by excessive Ca2+ accumulation is a major contributor to cardiac cell and tissue damage during myocardial infarction and ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI). At the molecular level, mitochondrial dysfunction is induced by Ca2+-dependent opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) in the inner mitochondrial membrane, which leads to the dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), disruption of adenosine triphosphate production, and ultimately cell death. Although the role of Ca2+ for induction of mPTP opening is established, the exact molecular mechanism of this process is not understood. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the adverse effect of mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation is mediated by its interaction with inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), a polymer of orthophosphates linked by phosphoanhydride bonds. We found that cardiac mitochondria contained significant amounts (280 ± 60 pmol/mg of protein) of short-chain polyP with an average length of 25 orthophosphates. To test the role of polyP for mPTP activity, we investigated kinetics of Ca2+ uptake and release, ΔΨm and Ca2+-induced mPTP opening in polyP-depleted mitochondria. polyP depletion was achieved by mitochondria-targeted expression of a polyP-hydrolyzing enzyme. Depletion of polyP in mitochondria of rabbit ventricular myocytes led to significant inhibition of mPTP opening without affecting mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration by itself. This effect was observed when mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake was stimulated by increasing cytosolic [Ca2+] in permeabilized myocytes mimicking mitochondrial Ca2+ overload observed during IRI. Our findings suggest that inorganic polyP is a previously unrecognized major activator of mPTP. We propose that the adverse effect of polyphosphate might be caused by its ability to form stable complexes with Ca2+ and directly contribute to inner mitochondrial membrane permeabilization.


2010 ◽  
Vol 299 (2) ◽  
pp. C506-C515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filip Sedlic ◽  
Ana Sepac ◽  
Danijel Pravdic ◽  
Amadou K. S. Camara ◽  
Martin Bienengraeber ◽  
...  

During reperfusion, the interplay between excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial Ca2+ overload, and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, as the crucial mechanism of cardiomyocyte injury, remains intriguing. Here, we investigated whether an induction of a partial decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) is an underlying mechanism of protection by anesthetic-induced preconditioning (APC) with isoflurane, specifically addressing the interplay between ROS, Ca2+, and mPTP opening. The magnitude of APC-induced decrease in ΔΨm was mimicked with the protonophore 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), and the addition of pyruvate was used to reverse APC- and DNP-induced decrease in ΔΨm. In cardiomyocytes, ΔΨm, ROS, mPTP opening, and cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ were measured using confocal microscope, and cardiomyocyte survival was assessed by Trypan blue exclusion. In isolated cardiac mitochondria, antimycin A-induced ROS production and Ca2+ uptake were determined spectrofluorometrically. In cells exposed to oxidative stress, APC and DNP increased cell survival, delayed mPTP opening, and attenuated ROS production, which was reversed by mitochondrial repolarization with pyruvate. In isolated mitochondria, depolarization by APC and DNP attenuated ROS production, but not Ca2+ uptake. However, in stressed cardiomyocytes, a similar decrease in ΔΨm attenuated both cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation. In conclusion, a partial decrease in ΔΨm underlies cardioprotective effects of APC by attenuating excess ROS production, resulting in a delay in mPTP opening and an increase in cell survival. Such decrease in ΔΨm primarily attenuates mitochondrial ROS production, with consequential decrease in mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake.


Circulation ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 116 (suppl_16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinkun Xi ◽  
Huihua Wang ◽  
Guillaume Chanoit ◽  
Guang Cheng ◽  
Robert A Mueller ◽  
...  

Although resveratrol has been demonstrated to be cardioprotective, the detailed cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate the protection remain elusive. We aimed to determine if resveratrol protects the heart at reperfusion by modulating the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening through glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β). Resveratrol (10μM) given at reperfusion reduced infarct size (12.2 ± 2.5 % of risk zone vs. 37.9 ± 3.1 % of risk zone in control, n = 6) in isolated rat hearts subjected to 30 min regional ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion, an effect that was abrogated by the mPTP opener atractyloside (30.9 ± 8.1 % of risk zone), implying that resveratrol may protect the heart at reperfusion by modulating the mPTP opening. To define the signaling mechanism underlying the action of resveratrol, we determined GSK-3β activity by measuring its phosphorylation at Ser 9 . Resveratrol significantly enhanced GSK-3β phosphorylation upon reperfusion (225.2 ± 30.0 % of control at 5 min of reperfusion). Further experiments showed that resveratrol induces translocation of GSK-3β to mitochondria and translocated GSK-3β interacts with the mPTP component cyclophilin D but not VDAC (the voltage-dependent anion channel) or ANT (the adenine nucleotide translocator) in cardiac mitochondria. Taken together, these data suggest that resveratrol prevents myocardial reperfusion injury by targeting the mPTP opening via GSK-3β. Translocation of GSK-3β to mitochondria and its interaction with the mPTP component cyclophilin D may serve as an essential mechanism that mediates the protective effect of resveratrol on reperfusion injury.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana A. Fedotcheva ◽  
Nadezhda I. Fedotcheva

Aim: The study of action of iron, DOX, and their complex on the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening and the detection of possible protectors of MPTP in the conditions close to mitochondria-dependent ferroptosis. Background: The toxicity of doxorubicin (DOX) is mainly associated with the free iron accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction. DOX can provoke ferroptosis, iron-dependent cell death driven by the membrane damage. The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) is considered as a common pathway leading to the development of apoptosis, necrosis, and, possibly, ferroptosis. The influence of DOX on the Ca2+ -induced opening of MPTP in the presence of iron has not yet been studied. Objective: The study was conducted on isolated liver and heart mitochondria. MPTP and succinate-ubiquinone oxidoreductase were studied as targets of DOX in mitochondria-dependent ferroptosis. Methods: The study was conducted on isolated mitochondria of the liver and heart. Changes of threshold calcium concentrations required for MPTP opening were measured by a Ca2+ selective electrode, mitochondrial membrane potential was registered by tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP+)-selective electrode, and mitochondrial swelling was recorded as a decrease in absorbance at 540 nm. The activity of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) was determined by the reduction of the electron acceptor DCPIP. Conclusion: MPTP and the respiratory complex II are identified as the main targets of the iron-dependent action of DOX on the isolated mitochondria. All MPTP protectors tested abolished or weakened the effect of iron and a complex of iron with DOX on Ca2+ -induced MPTP opening, acting in different stages of MPTP activation. These data open new approaches to the modulation of the toxic influence of DOX on mitochondria with the aim to reduce their dysfunction


Circulation ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Fajardo ◽  
Mingming Zhao ◽  
Gerald Berry ◽  
Daria Mochly-Rosen ◽  
Daniel Bernstein

β2-adrenergic receptors (β2-ARs) modulate cardioprotection through crosstalk with multiple pathways. We have previously shown that β2-ARs are cardioprotective during acute exposure to Doxorubicin (DOX). DOX cardiotoxicity is mediated through a Ca 2+ -dependent opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPT) and mitochondrial dysfunction, however the upstream signals linking cell surface receptors and the MPT are not clear. The purpose of this study was to assess crosstalk between β2-AR signaling and mitochondrial function in DOX toxicity. DOX 10 mg/kg was administered to β2−/− and WT mice. Whereas there was no mortality in WT, 85% of β2−/− mice died within 30 min (n=20). Pro- and anti-survival kinases were assessed by immunobloting. At baseline, β2−/− showed normal levels of ϵPKC, but a 16% increase in δPKC compared to WT (p<0.05). After DOX, β2−/− showed a 64% decrease in ϵPKC (p<0.01) and 22% increase in δPKC (p<0.01). The ϵPKC activator ΨϵRACK decreased mortality by 40% in β2−/− mice receiving DOX; there was no improvement in survival with the δPKC inhibitor δV1–1. After DOX, AKT activity was decreased by 76% (p<0.01) in β2−/− but not in WT. The α1-AR blocker prazosin, inhibiting signaling through Gαq, restored AKT activity and reduced DOX mortality by 47%. We next assessed the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in β2−/− mediated DOX toxicity. DOX treated β2−/− mice, but not WT, show marked vacuolization of mitochondrial cristae. Complex I activity decreased 31% in β2−/− mice with DOX; but not in WT. Baseline rate of Ca2+ release and peak [Ca2+]i ratio were increased 85% and 17% respectively in β2−/− myocytes compared to WT. Verapamil decreased mortality by 27% in DOX treated β2−/− mice. Cyclosporine, a blocker of both MPT and calcineurin, reduced DOX mortality to 50%. In contrast, FK506, a blocker of calcineurin but not the MPT, did not reduce DOX mortality. Cyclosporine prevented the decrease in AKT activity in β2−/− whereas FK506 did not. These findings suggest that β2-ARs modulate pro-survival kinases and attenuate mitochondrial dysfunction during DOX cardiotoxicity; absence of β2-ARs enhances DOX toxicity via negative regulation of survival kinases and enhancement of intracellular Ca2+, sensitizing mitochondria to opening of the MPT.


Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 138 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasiel O Strubbe ◽  
Jason Schrad ◽  
James F Conway ◽  
Kristin N Parent ◽  
Jason N Bazil

Excessive Ca 2+ accumulation is the main source of cardiac tissue and cell death during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (IR injury) and myocardial infarction. Calcium dysregulation and overload leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, catastrophic energy failure, and opening of the cyclosporine A-sensitive mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Mitochondrial Ca 2+ accumulation also results in the formation of amorphous Ca 2+ -phosphate granules localized in the mitochondrial matrix. These amorphous electron-dense granules are main components of the mitochondrial Ca 2+ sequestration and buffering system by mechanisms not yet well understood. The two aims of the present study are to test the relationship of Ca 2+ -phosphate granule size and number in cardiac mitochondria 1) exposed to a bolus calcium sufficient to elicit permeabilization and 2) whether CsA-treated mitochondria alters granule formation and size. A time course series of CryoEM images was analyzed to follow the permeabilization process. CryoEM results showed that mitochondrial incubated for longer time-courses have increased number of small granules (40 - 110 nm), swelling, membrane rupture and induction of mPTP opening. Conversely, shorter incubation time resulted in less granules per mitochondrion yet of similar size (35 - 90 nm). CsA- treated mitochondria, on the other hand, showed bigger phosphate granules (120 - 160 nm), and both lower granules per mitochondria and mPTP opening susceptibility. These results suggest a novel mechanism for CsA in which Ca 2+ -phosphate granule sizes are enhanced while maintaining fewer per mitochondrion. This effect may explain why CsA-treated mitochondria have higher calcium tolerance, delayed Ca 2+ -dependent opening of the mPTP, and protects against reperfusion-induced myocardial necrosis.


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