Mitochondria in the Nuclei of Rat Myocardial Cells.

Electron microscopic study of cardiomyocytes taken from healthy Wistar and OXYS rats and naked mole rats () revealed mitochondria in nuclei that lacked part of the nuclear envelope. The direct interaction of mitochondria with nucleoplasm is shown. The statistical analysis of the occurrence of mitochondria in cardiomyocyte nuclei showed that the percentage of nuclei with mitochondria was roughly around 1%, and did not show age and species dependency.

Improved health-span and lifespan in mtDNA mutator mice treated with the mitochondrially targeted antioxidant SkQ1.

MtDNA mutator mice exhibit marked features of premature aging. We find that these mice treated from age of ≈100 days with the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SkQ1 showed a delayed appearance of traits of aging such as kyphosis, alopecia, lowering of body temperature, body weight loss, as well as ameliorated heart, kidney and liver pathologies. These effects of SkQ1 are suggested to be related to an alleviation of the effects of an enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in mtDNA mutator mice: the increased mitochondrial ROS released due to mitochondrial mutations probably interact with polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiolipin, releasing malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal that form protein adducts and thus diminishes mitochondrial functions.

Neoteny, Prolongation of Youth: From Naked Mole Rats to "Naked Apes" (Humans).

It has been suggested that highly social mammals, such as naked mole rats and humans, are long-lived due to neoteny (the prolongation of youth). In both species, aging cannot operate as a mechanism facilitating natural selection because the pressure of this selection is strongly reduced due to ) a specific social structure where only the "queen" and her "husband(s)" are involved in reproduction (naked mole rats) or ) substituting fast technological progress for slow biological evolution (humans). Lists of numerous traits of youth that do not disappear with age in naked mole rats and humans are presented and discussed.

Mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SkQ1 reduces age-related alterations in the ultrastructure of the lacrimal gland.

Dry eye syndrome is an eye disorder affecting many people at an old age. Because dry eye syndrome is accelerated by aging, a useful approach to the prevention of this syndrome may be an intervention into the aging process. Previously, we showed that the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SkQ1 delays manifestations of aging and inhibits the development of age-related diseases including dry eye syndrome.

Antioxidant SkQ1 delays sarcopenia-associated damage of mitochondrial ultrastructure.

A comparative electron-microscopic study of ultrastructure of mitochondria in skeletal muscles of the 3- and 24-month-old Wistar and OXYS rats revealed age-dependent changes in both general organization of the mitochondrial reticulum and ultrastructure of mitochondria. The most pronounced ultrastructure changes were detected in the OXYS rats suffering from permanent oxidative stress. In the OXYS rats, significant changes in mitochondrial ultrastructure were detected already at the age of 3 months.

Accumulation of dodecyltriphenylphosphonium in mitochondria induces their swelling and ROS-dependent growth inhibition in yeast.

Hydrophobic cations with delocalized charge are used to deliver drugs to mitochondria. However, micromolar concentrations of such compounds could be toxic due to their excessive accumulation in mitochondria. We studied possible pathophysiological effects of one such cation, i.

Alterations of retinal pigment epithelium cause AMD-like retinopathy in senescence-accelerated OXYS rats.

Pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the world, remains poorly understood. This makes it necessary to create animal models for studying AMD pathogenesis and to design new therapeutic approaches. Here we showed that retinopathy in OXYS rats is similar to human AMD according to clinical signs, morphology, and vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF) and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) genes expression.

An attempt to prevent senescence: a mitochondrial approach.

Antioxidants specifically addressed to mitochondria have been studied to determine if they can decelerate senescence of organisms. For this purpose, a project has been established with participation of several research groups from Russia and some other countries. This paper summarizes the first results of the project.

Novel mechanism of elimination of malfunctioning mitochondria (mitoptosis): formation of mitoptotic bodies and extrusion of mitochondrial material from the cell.

Energy catastrophe, when mitochondria hydrolyze glycolytic ATP instead of producing respiratory ATP, has been modeled. In highly glycolyzing HeLa cells, 30-50% of the population survived after inhibition of respiration and uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation for 2-4 days. The survival was accompanied by selective elimination of mitochondria.

Thread-grain transition of mitochondrial reticulum as a step of mitoptosis and apoptosis.

Association of mitochondrial population to a mitochondrial reticulum is typical of many types of the healthy cells. This allows the cell to organize a united intracellular power-transmitting system. However, such an association can create some difficulties for the cell when a part of the reticulum is damaged or when mitochondria should migrate from one cell region to another.

In situ assay of the intramitochondrial enzymes: use of alamethicin for permeabilization of mitochondria.

The channel-forming antibiotic alamethicin was used to permeabilize mitochondrial membranes for the low molecular mass hydrophilic substrates NADH and ATP. Alamethicin-treated mitochondria show high rotenone-sensitive NADH oxidase, NADH-quinone reductase, and oligomycin-sensitive and carboxyatractylate-insensitive ATPase activities. Alamethicin does not affect Complex I and ATPase activities in inside-out submitochondrial particles.