L-carnitine and neuroprotection in the animal model of mitochondrial dysfunction.

We have shown previously that pretreatment with l-carnitine (LC) prior to 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) exposure, while not significantly attenuating succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) inhibition, prevented hypothermia and oxidative stress. The plant and fungal toxin, 3-NPA, acts as an inhibitor of mitochondrial function via irreversible inactivation of the mitochondrial inner membrane enzyme, SDH. Inhibition of SDH disturbs electron transport, leading to cellular energy deficits and oxidative stress-related neuronal injury.

Identification of rat hippocampal mRNAs altered by the mitochondrial toxicant, 3-NPA.

3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) is a model mitochondrial inhibitor that causes selective neurodegeneration in brain. 3-NPA-induced neurodegeneration occurs via a secondary neurotoxicity, caused initially by ATP depletion and redox changes in the cell. It is known that the hippocampal degeneration caused by mitochondrial dysfunction affects learning and memory, cognitive functions commonly disturbed in neurodegenerative diseases.

The differential JunB responses to inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase in rat hippocampus and liver.

The inhibitor of mitochondrial enzyme succinate dehydrogenase, 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA), induces cellular energy deficit followed by oxidative stress, secondary excitotoxicity and neuronal degeneration. The fast activation of Jun and Fos proteins and other proteins encoding inducible transcription factors (ITFs) occurs in most tissues upon exposure to a variety of stressors including exposure to mitochondrial inhibitors. However, the consequences of this activation can differ dramatically in different organs.

Neuroprotective effect of L-carnitine in the 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA)-evoked neurotoxicity in rats.

A plant and fungal toxin, 3-NPA, acts as an inhibitor of mitochondrial function via irreversible inactivation of the mitochondrial inner membrane enzyme, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH). Inhibition of SDH disturbs electron transport and leads to cellular energy deficits and neuronal injury. We have shown that pretreatment with l-carnitine, while not significantly attenuating SDH inhibition, prevented hypothermia and oxidative stress-associated increased activity of free radical-scavenging enzymes.

Polymorphisms in human soluble epoxide hydrolase.

Human soluble epoxide hydrolase (hsEH) metabolizes a variety of epoxides to the corresponding vicinal diols. Arachidonic and linoleic acid epoxides are thought to be endogenous substrates for hsEH. Enzyme activity in humans shows high interindividual variation (e.