Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Aging Rat Brain Regions upon Chlorpyrifos Toxicity and Cold Stress: An Interactive Study

Mitochondrial dysfunction and consequent energy depletion are the major causes of oxidative stress resulting to bring alterations in the ionic homeostasis causing loss of cellular integrity. Our previous studies have shown the age-associated interactive effects in rat central nervous system (CNS) upon co-exposure to chlorpyrifos (CPF) and cold stress leading to macromolecular oxidative damage. The present study elucidates a possible mechanism by which CPF and cold stress interaction cause(s) mitochondrial dysfunction in an age-related manner. In this study, the activity levels of Krebs cycle enzymes and electron transport chain (ETC) protein complexes were assessed in the isolated fraction of mitochondria. CPF and cold stress (15 and 20 °C) exposure either individually or in combination decreased the activity level of Krebs cycle enzymes and ETC protein complexes in discrete regions of rat CNS. The findings confirm that cold stress produces significant synergistic effect in CPF intoxicated aging rats. The synergism between CPF and cold stress at 15 °C caused a higher depletion of respiratory enzymes in comparison with CPF and cold stress alone and together at 20 °C indicating the extent of deleterious functional alterations in discrete regions of brain and spinal cord (SC) which may result in neurodegeneration and loss in neuronal metabolic control. Hence, co-exposure of CPF and cold stress is more dangerous than exposure of either alone. Among the discrete regions studied, the cerebellum and medulla oblongata appears to be the most susceptible regions when compared to cortex and SC. Furthermore, the study reveals a gradual decrease in sensitivity to CPF toxicity as the rat matures.     

Regulation of the pentose phosphate cycle in bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) liver

The influence in the activities of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase produced by the ratio changes NADPH/NADP is studied. The intracellular ratios of 20 and 10 are enough to achieve total inhibition of these two enzymes, respectively. Measurements of a number of metabolic intermediates show that the concentrations of Krebs cycle compounds are higher than those of glycolytic pathway metabolites. From a consideration of these values, the regulation of the pentose phosphate cycle mainly by the intracellular NADPH/NADP ratio, is discussed.     

Histochemistry of oxidative enzymes in the neuroglia in course of myelination.

The histoenzymic pattern of oxidative enzymes (G-6-PDH, G-PDH, ICDH, SDH, HBDH, NADH-2:tetrazolium dehydrogenase) was investigated in the developing neuroglia of rabbit brains, with special regard to the period of myelinogenesis. The obtained results lead to following conclusions: (1) During the early period of postnatal development there is maximal oxidative enzyme activity in ependymal cells, somewhat less reactive are the undifferentiated matrix cells and the differentiating cells of the mantle layer. No distinction can be made between the response of spongio- and neuroblasts. (2) Distinctly increased oxidoreductase activity, as compared to the early period of postnatal development, is demonstrated by the differentiating cells of myelination gliosis, no prevalence being demonstrable for enzymes of the particular metabolic pathways (pentose shunt, glycolysis or Krebs cycle). (3) G-6-PDH, G-PDH and oxidoreductases acting within the citric acid cycle are demonstrable only in single cells of the interfascicular oligodendroglia of adult rabbit brains, while almost all cells exhibit appreciable activity of HBDH and NADH-2 tetrazolium dehydrogenase.     

Effects of altered thyroid status on beta-adrenergic actions on skeletal muscle glycogen metabolism

The effects of hypothyroidism on glycogen metabolism in rat skeletal muscle were studied using the perfused rat hindlimb preparation. Three weeks after propylthiouracil treatment, serum thyroxine was undetectable and muscle glycogen and Glc-6-P were decreased. Basal and epinephrine-stimulated phosphorylase a and phosphorylase b kinase activities were also significantly reduced, as were epinephrine-stimulated cAMP accumulation and cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity. Conversely, basal and epinephrine-stimulated glycogen synthase I activities were significantly higher while the Ka of the enzyme for Glc-6-P was lower in hypothyroid animals. Propylthiouracil-treated rats also had increased phosphoprotein phosphatase activities towards phosphorylase and glycogen synthase and decreased activity of phosphatase inhibitor 1. beta-Adrenergic receptor binding and basal and epinephrine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activities were reduced in muscle particulate fractions from hypothyroid rats. Administration of triiodothyronine to rats for 3 days after 3 weeks of propylthiouracil treatment restored the altered metabolic parameters to normal. It is proposed that the decreased beta-adrenergic responsiveness of the enzymes of glycogen metabolism in hypothyroid rat skeletal muscle is due to increased activity of phosphoprotein phosphatases and to reduced beta-adrenergic receptors and adenylate cyclase activity.     

Robustness analysis of the Escherichia coli metabolic network

Genomic, biochemical, and strain-specific data can be assembled to define an in silico representation of the metabolic network for a select group of single cellular organisms. Flux-balance analysis and phenotypic phase planes derived therefrom have been developed and applied to analyze the metabolic capabilities and characteristics of Escherichia coli K-12. These analyses have shown the existence of seven essential reactions in the central metabolic pathways (glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, tricarboxylic acid cycle) for the growth in glucose minimal media. The corresponding seven gene products can be grouped into three categories: (1) pentose phosphate pathway genes, (2) three-carbon glycolytic genes, and (3) tricarboxylic acid cycle genes. Here we develop a procedure that calculates the sensitivity of optimal cellular growth to altered flux levels of these essential gene products. The results indicate that the E. coli metabolic network is robust with respect to the flux levels of these enzymes. The metabolic flux in the transketolase and the tricarboxylic acid cycle reactions can be reduced to 15% and 19%, respectively, of the optimal value without significantly influencing the optimal growth flux. The metabolic network also exhibited robustness with respect to the ribose-5-phosphate isomerase, and the ribose-5-phosephate isomerase flux was reduced to 28% of the optimal value without significantly effecting the optimal growth flux. The metabolic network exhibited limited robustness to the three-carbon glycolytic fluxes both increased and decreased. The development presented another dimension to the use of FBA to study the capabilities of metabolic networks.     

Alternative pathways of glucose utilization in developing rat spinal cord

The activities of alternative pathways of glucose utilization in the developing rat spinal cord were evaluated from the release of ¹⁴CO₂ and the incorporation of [¹⁴C] into lipids from differentially labelled glucose. Total lipid synthesis had peak activity at 15 days post-partum corresponding to the period of peak myelination in rat spinal cord. The activities of the glycolytic route, tricarboxylic acid cycle and fully activated pentose phosphate pathway were highest up to 20 days post-partum. After this period myelin (which is biochemically relatively inert) will constitute a larger proportion of the mass of the cord and this may contribute to the lower observed rates of the above pathways during later stages of development. Treatment of 20 day old rats with 6-aminonicotinamide resulted in spastic paralysis of the rats and pronounced inhibition of the pentose phosphate pathway indicating that this pathway, although low in activity (less than 4% of total glucose oxidation) has an important role in developing rat spinal cord.     

Developmental regulation of enzymes of sucrose and hexose metabolism in effective and ineffective soybean nodules

Soybean (Glycine max) nodules formed by inoculation with either an effective strain or an ineffective (noninvasive, nodule-forming) strain of Bradyrhizobium japonicum were assayed for changes in developmental patterns of carbon metabolic enzymes of the plant nodule cells. Of the enzyme activities measured, only sucrose synthase, glutamine synthetase, and alcohol dehydrogenase were altered in the ineffective nodules relative to the effective nodules. Sucrose synthase and glutamine synthetase activities were greatly reduced, whereas alcohol dehydrogenase activity was elevated. Dark-induced senescence severely affected sucrose synthase but had little, if any, effect on the other enzymes measured. The developmental patterns of the anaerobically induced enzymes, aldolase and alcohol dehydrogenase, were different from those expected, implying that their development is not regulated solely by oxygen deprivation. However, anaerobic treatment of nodules resulted in responses similar to those enzymes in maize. The developmental profiles of the carbon metabolic enzymes suggest that carbohydrates are metabolized via the sucrose synthase and pentose phosphate pathways. This route of carbon metabolism, compared to glycolysis, would reduce the requirement of ATP for carbohydrate catabolism, generate NADPH for biosynthetic reactions, and provide intermediates for plant secondary metabolism.     

Differential expression of metabolic genes essential for glucose and lipid metabolism in skeletal muscle from spinal cord injured subjects

Skeletal muscle plays an important role in the regulation of energy homeostasis; therefore, the ability of skeletal muscle to adapt and alter metabolic gene expression in response to changes in physiological demands is critical for energy balance. Individuals with cervical spinal cord lesions are characterized by tetraplegia, impaired thermoregulation, and altered skeletal muscle morphology. We characterized skeletal muscle metabolic gene expression patterns, as well as protein content, in these individuals to assess the impact of spinal cord injury on critical determinants of skeletal muscle metabolism. Our results demonstrate that mRNA levels and protein expression of skeletal muscle genes essential for glucose storage are reduced, whereas expression of glycolytic genes is reciprocally increased in individuals with spinal cord injury. Furthermore, expression of genes essential for lipid oxidation is coordinately reduced in spinal cord injured subjects, consistent with a marked reduction of mitochondrial proteins. Thus spinal cord injury resulted in a profound and tightly coordinated change in skeletal muscle metabolic gene expression program that is associated with the aberrant metabolic features of the tissue.     

OXIDATIVE AND HYDROLYTIC ENZYMES IN THE NEPHRON OF NECTURUS MACULOSUS : Histochemical, Biochemical, and Electron Microscopical Studies

The distribution of oxidative and hydrolytic enzyme activities along the nephron of Necturus maculosus Rafinesque was studied histochemically. The proximal tubule possessed all the demonstrable enzyme activities associated with the hexose-monophosphate shunt and glycolysis, but lacked detectable succinic dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase activities. Krebs cycle enzymes other than succinic dehydrogenase were easily detectable. The distal tubule, on the other hand, possessed no detectable hexose-monophosphate shunt enzyme activities, but all demonstrable glycolytic and Krebs cycle enzymes and cytochrome oxidase were present in high activity. These data indicate that the proximal tubule of Necturus probably cannot depend, as can the distal tubule, on the Krebs cycle and cytochrome system to provide energy for its transport processes, an inference supported, in general, by available physiological evidence. The question of the importance of the hexose shunt to proximal tubular function arises. Evidence is presented that the proximal tubular blood supply is primarily venous in nature, a hypothesis which would correlate well with its anaerobic metabolic pattern. In addition, the absence of cytochrome oxidase and succinic dehydrogenase from the proximal tubular cells implies either that they possess very few mitochondria, or that their mitochondria have a very unusual enzymatic pattern. Electron microscopical observations and data obtained from the measurement of the enzyme activities of homogenates of Necturus kidney are presented which indicate that the second hypothesis is more probably correct.     

Copper effects on key metabolic enzymes and mitochondrial membrane potential in gills of the estuarine crab Neohelice granulata at different salinities

The estuarine crab Neohelice granulata was exposed (96h) to a sublethal copper concentration under two different physiological conditions (hyperosmoregulating crabs: 2ppt salinity, 1mg Cu/L; isosmotic crabs: 30ppt salinity, 5mg Cu/L). After exposure, gills (anterior and posterior) were dissected and activities of enzymes involved in glycolysis (hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, lactate dehydrogenase), Krebs cycle (citrate synthase), and mitochondrial electron transport chain (cytochrome c oxidase) were analyzed. Membrane potential of mitochondria isolated from anterior and posterior gill cells was also evaluated. In anterior gills of crabs acclimated to 2ppt salinity, copper exposure inhibited hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, and citrate synthase activity, increased lactate dehydrogenase activity, and reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential. In posterior gills, copper inhibited hexokinase and pyruvate kinase activity, and increased citrate synthase activity. In anterior gills of crabs acclimated to 30ppt salinity, copper exposure inhibited phosphofructokinase and citrate synthase activity, and increased hexokinase activity. In posterior gills, copper inhibited phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase activity, and increased hexokinase and lactate dehydrogenase activity. Copper did not affect cytochrome c oxidase activity in either anterior or posterior gills of crabs acclimated to 2 and 30ppt salinity. These findings indicate that exposure to a sublethal copper concentration affects the activity of enzymes involved in glycolysis and Krebs cycle, especially in anterior (respiratory) gills of hyperosmoregulating crabs. Changes observed indicate a switch from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism, characterizing a situation of functional hypoxia. In this case, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential would suggest a decrease in ATP production. Although gills of isosmotic crabs were also affected by copper exposure, changes observed suggest no impact in the overall tissue ATP production. Also, findings suggest that copper exposure would stimulate the pentose phosphate pathway to support the antioxidant system requirements. Although N. granulata is very tolerant to copper, acute exposure to this metal can disrupt the energy balance by affecting biochemical systems involved in carbohydrate metabolism.     

Cytochemical response of kidney, liver and nervous system of fluoride ions in drinking water.

Morphological and cytochemical studies on the squirrel monkey have been made after maintaining the sujects on pure distilled water and fluoridated distilled water for 18 months with the objective of determining the effect of fluoride on the activity of some hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes in the kidney, liver and nervous system. Daily water intake by individual animals was measured over the final 10 months of the animal's exposure to 0,1 and 5 ppm fluoride. Water consumption was considerably higher in the animals on higher fluoride intake. Whereas the nervous system remained totally unaffected by this experimental procedure, the liver showed a slightly enhanced acivity of Krebs citric acid cycle enzymes. The kidneys, however, showed significant cytochemical changes, especially in the animals on 5 ppm fluoride intake in their drinking water. In these animals, the glomeruli showed an increase in the activity of acid phosphatase and the enzymes belonging to the citric acid cycle and the pentose shunt, whereas lactate dehydrogenase, a resentative of the anaerobic glyoclytic pathway, remained unchanged or only slightly changed. These observations suggest that fluoride in concentrations as low as 5 ppm interferes to some extent with the intracellular metabolism of the excretory system.     

Histological and histochemical studies on the subfornical organ of the squirrel monkey

Summary Detailed studies have been made on the distribution of several enzymes in the subfornical organ (SFO) of the squirrel monkey. In this species, the nerve cells of the SFO show reactions of varying intensity for enzymes of the glycolytic and aerobic pathways. The nerve cells, glial cells and ependymal cells of the SFO and the choroid plexus are equipped with enzymes of the Embden-Meyerhof (EM) pathway, pentose cycle and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Many nerve cells and oligodendroglia in the body of this organ are rich in enzymes of the TCA cycle and the pentose cycle and thus presumably have the capacity of producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH₂) [reduced triphosphopyridine nucleotide (TPNH)]. In the neurons, ATP is probably used as energy for synaptic transmission, active transport, secretion and various other metabolic processes, whereas NADPH₂ is used for synthetic processes such as the production of fatty acids and some amino acid conversion (e.g., conversion of phenylalanine into tyrosine). The SFO and its stalks contain both cholinergic and adrenergic neurons and fibers. The outermost layer of the perivascular sheath gives a positive reaction for enzymes of the gylcolytic pathways (EM pathway, pentose cycle and TCA cycle), whereas the inner layer of this sheath shows negligible activity for these enzymes. On the other hand, the whole sheath (inner and outer layers) exhibits strong staining for Mg⁺⁺-activated adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), and moderate staining for Ca⁺⁺-activated ATPase. This sheath, rich in ATPase, may carry on active transport and such related functions. Since the outermost layer contains various enzymes of the glycolytic pathways, it is possible that the ATP required for these functions is produced in this layer.Visiting scientist from the Department of Anatomy, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, JapanT. R. Shanthaveerappa in previous publications.     

Metabolic pathways and nitrogen metabolism inLegionella pneumophila

An examination of cellular extracts ofLegionella pneumophila (Philadelphia 1 and Knoxville 1) was undertaken and key enzymes of the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) and pentose phosphate (PP) pathways, and the Krebs cycle were found. No enzymatic evidence of the ED pathway was obtained. In regard to carbon flow in the EMP pathway, the activities of fructose-1,6-biphosphatase (6–7.3 nmol/min/mg protein) and of phosphofructokinase (0.67–0.8 nmol/min/mg protein) suggested a gluconeogenic role. In further support of this direction, good activities were detected for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. While an energized membrane was required for glutamate uptake by whole cells, an energized mechanism for glucose uptake could not be demonstrated. The Krebs cycle was essentially complete and, despite high specific activities for isocitrate and malate dehydrogenases, whole cells failed to oxidize these substrates, suggesting a transport deficiency. The major carbon and energy sources serine and glutamate were catabolized vial-serine dehydratase and glutamate-aspartate transaminase, respectively. This study confirmed that amino acids are catabolized via the Krebs cycle and that sugars are synthesized by the gluconeogenic enzymes of the EMP pathway.     

Effects of deflazacort and the L-6485 metabolite on epiphyseal cartilage carbohydrate metabolism: comparison with prednisone

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with 1 mg/100 g bw/day of prednisone, 1.25 mg/1--g bw/day of deflazacort, or its metabolite, for a period of 20 days. Epiphyseal cartilage slices were incubated in a modified Krebs Ringer bicarbonate buffer, at 37 degrees C for 60 min, with either 14C-1- or 14C-6-glucose to quantitate both the absolute and relative rates of pentose shunt versus aerobic and anaerobic glycolytic activity, respectively. Measurements of both total and radioactive glucose uptake, lactate production and 14CO2 generation were expressed as either mumoles or DPM/mg cellular DNA/hr, respectively. This study demonstrated: (1) chronic prednisone administration decreased anaerobic glycolysis (glucose uptake and lactate production) 3-fold (P less than 0.01); (2) prednisone on a chronic basis produced no measured alteration in either the pentose shunt or Kreb's cycle activity; (3) both deflazacort and the deflazacort metabolite significantly stimulated (P less than 0.02) anaerobic glycolytic activity in epiphyseal cartilage tissue. In contrast to prednisone, the administration of either deflazacort or its L-6485 metabolite did not inhibit the glycolytic pathway of metabolism so necessary for epiphyseal cartilage growth and mineralization.     

Primary compensatory adaptive reaction of Columba livia hepatocytes to hyperthermia: Changes in structure and metabolism

According to the hypothesis of “energy need” cytophysiological compensations of the rapid response to a single short-term rise in ambient temperature in birds of Columba livia species, occur in hepathocytes at the expense of metabolic depression, which is expressed as a decrease in the activity of the enzymes involved in the Krebs cycle and their cytoplasmic forms. The activity of G-6-PDH increases, thus demonstrating the adaptive metabolic plasticity of the antioxidant system. The flow of metabolites switches from aerobic to anaerobic route of glucose oxidation, the process of programmed cell death on the way of apoptosis is activated, the fraction of hepathocyte population at the G0 stage increases, while the fraction of hepathocytes at M stage of the cell cycle corresponds to this index in intact individuals.     

Triphosphopyridine nucleotide-dependent enzymes in the developing spinal cord of the rabbit

Abstract— Total lipid and the activity of five enzymes closely related to the generation of NADPH have been measured in the anterior horn region and dorsal columns of rabbit spinal cord during the period of rapid myelination. Lipid deposition progressed to a much greater extent in the dorsal columns than in the anterior horn region; however, the age at which one-half of the total adult level of lipid accumulated in both regions was the same, i.e. 19-20 days after birth. During the first 15 days of postnatal development of the dorsal columns, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase changed in parallel with lipid content; however, in the anterior horn region changes in lipid were not accompanied by increases in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. In contrast to changes in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, the activity of malic enzyme increased in the anterior horn region but remained relatively constant in the dorsal columns during development. The activities of two other enzymes of the pentose phosphate pathway, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and transketolase, measured at various intervals after birth, did not directly parallel changes in the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the dorsal columns. In both areas of the developing spinal cord the activity of NADP⁺-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase was greater than the activities of the other three dehydrogenases but it did not parallel changes in lipid content of either region. A relationship between the requirements for reducing equivalents and the activities of the four NADP⁺-dependent dehydrogenases is suggested by the finding that both areas of the adult spinal cord contained lower activities of these enzymes than those observed during the initial 26 days of development. The differences noted in the two areas of the spinal cord during development suggest that mechanisms for the generation of NADPH differ in gray and white matter.     

Alterations in brain metabolism induced by chronic morphine treatment: NMR studies in rat CNS

High-resolution (500 MHz) multiresonance/multinuclear proton (¹H) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to detect metabolic changes and cellular injury in the rat brain stem and spinal cord following chronic morphine treatment. Compensatory changes were observed in glycine, glutamate, and inositols in the brain stem, but not the spinal cord, of chronic morphine-treated rats. In spinal cord, increases were detected in lactate and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), suggesting that there is anaerobic glycolysis, plasma membrane damage, and altered pH preferentially in the spinal cord of chronic morphine-treated rats.     

Enzyme histochemical studies on rat amygdala in fetal alcohol syndrome

Histochemical studies were made of the activity of oxidative and hydrolytic enzymes in rat amygdala in FAS (Foetal Alcohol Syndrome). Ethanol in a dose of 9 g/kg/day was administered to rats during pregnancy and lactation in 6% aqueous solution as the only available liquid. The control rats received an equivalent diet in which ethanol was substituted by an equicaloric amount of sucrose. The offsprings were examined at the end of the 6th postnatal week. The activity of the lysosome and membrane enzymes, as well of some enzymes participating in the neurotransmission, was changed. A different decrease of the activity of oxidoreductases of Krebs cycle, glycolysis and pentose cycle was observed. The changes in the enzyme activity in the amygdala in FAS suggest alterations in the metabolism of the nervous tissue, rather than structural damages of cell organelles.