Effects of cyclosporine A and its immunosuppressive or non-immunosuppressive derivatives [D-Ser]8-CsA and Cs9 on mitochondria from different brain regions.

We studied the functional properties of isolated brain mitochondria (BM) prepared from total rat brain (BM(total)) or from cerebral subregions under basal and Ca(2+) overload conditions in order to evaluate the effects of cyclosporine A (CsA) in a regiospecific manner. CsA-induced effects were compared with those of two derivatives-the none-immunosuppressive [O-(NH(2)(CH2)(5)NHC(O)CH(2))-D-Ser](8)-CsA (Cs9) and its congener, the immunosuppressive [D-Ser](8)-CsA. The glutamate/malate-dependent state 3 respiration of mitochondria (state 3(glu/mal)) differed in region-specific manner (cortex > striatum = cerebellum > substantia nigra > hippocampus), but was significantly increased by 1μM CsA (+21±5%) in all regions.

Low stability of Huntington muscle mitochondria against Ca2+ in R6/2 mice.

Objective: The aim of the present work was the detection of Mitochondrial dysfunction of Huntington's disease (HD).

Methods: We investigated muscle and muscle mitochondria of 14- to 16-week-old R6/2 mice in comparison with wild-type mice.

Results: Atrophic fibers, increased fuchsinophilic aggregates, and reduced cytochrome c oxidase (15%) were found in HD muscle.

Effects of extramitochondrial ADP on permeability transition of mouse liver mitochondria.

Carboxyatractylate (CAT) and atractylate inhibit the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) and stimulate the opening of permeability transition pore (PTP). Following pretreatment of mouse liver mitochondria with 5 microM CAT and 75 microM Ca2+, the activity of PTP increased, but addition of 2 mM ADP inhibited the swelling of mitochondria. Extramitochondrial Ca2+ concentration measured with Calcium-Green 5N evidenced that 2 mM ADP did not remarkably decrease the free Ca2+ but the release of Ca2+ from loaded mitochondria was stopped effectively after addition of 2 mM ADP.

Effect of transforming growth factor-beta on calcium homeostasis in prostate carcinoma cells.

Ca(2+) plays a fundamental role in the control of a variety of cellular functions, in particular, in energy metabolism and apoptosis. In this study, we show that TGF-beta at concentrations of 0.1-1.