A method for reproducible measurements of serum BDNF: comparison of the performance of six commercial assays.

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) has attracted increasing interest as potential biomarker to support the diagnosis or monitor the efficacy of therapies in brain disorders. Circulating BDNF can be measured in serum, plasma or whole blood. However, the use of BDNF as biomarker is limited by the poor reproducibility of results, likely due to the variety of methods used for sample collection and BDNF analysis.

Downmodulation of mitochondrial F0F1 ATP synthase by diazoxide in cardiac myoblasts: a dual effect of the drug.

Similar to ischemic preconditioning, diazoxide was documented to elicit beneficial bioenergetic consequences linked to cardioprotection. Inhibition of ATPase activity of mitochondrial F(0)F(1) ATP synthase may have a role in such effect and may involve the natural inhibitor protein IF(1). We recently documented, using purified enzyme and isolated mitochondrial membranes from beef heart, that diazoxide interacts with the F(1) sector of F(0)F(1) ATP synthase by promoting IF(1) binding and reversibly inhibiting ATP hydrolysis.

Diazoxide affects the IF1 inhibitor protein binding to F1 sector of beef heart F0F1ATPsynthase.

Diazoxide, a selective opener of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ channel (mitoK(ATP)), has been reported to enhance F(0)F(1)ATPsynthase inhibition during ischemia, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Here, we demonstrate that diazoxide directly interacts with the F(1) sector of beef heart F(0)F(1)ATPsynthase markedly promoting the binding of the inhibitor protein (IF(1)) to beta subunit. More specifically, the treatment of soluble F(1) with one equivalent of diazoxide was sufficient to decrease the K(d) of IF(1)-F(1) complex at low pH.