Publications by authors named "Benjamin A West"

A 66-year-old man presented with chronic bilateral periorbital edema with associated yellowish hue, scattered violaceous smooth macules and contracture of the forehead. He had undergone dental surgery 3 months prior to symptom onset. Laboratory workup for common causes of eyelid edema was unremarkable and MRI of the orbits was unrevealing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mitochondrial cristae are dynamic invaginations of the inner membrane and play a key role in its metabolic capacity to produce ATP. Structural alterations caused by either genetic abnormalities or detrimental environmental factors impede mitochondrial metabolic fluxes and lead to a decrease in their ability to meet metabolic energy requirements. While some of the key proteins associated with mitochondrial cristae are known, very little is known about how the inner membrane dynamics are involved in energy metabolism.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mitochondrial permeability transition (PT) is a phenomenon of stress-induced increase in nonspecific permeability of the mitochondrial inner membrane that leads to disruption of oxidative phosphorylation and cell death. Quantitative measurement of the membrane permeability increase during PT is critically important for understanding the PT's impact on mitochondrial function. The elementary unit of PT is a PT pore (PTP), a single channel presumably formed by either ATP synthase or adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF