Browsing by Subject "Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction is a feature of Glycogen Storage Disease Type Ia (GSDIa).
    (Scientific reports, 2017-03) Farah, Benjamin L; Sinha, Rohit A; Wu, Yajun; Singh, Brijesh K; Lim, Andrea; Hirayama, Masahiro; Landau, Dustin J; Bay, Boon Huat; Koeberl, Dwight D; Yen, Paul M
    Glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSDIa, von Gierke disease) is the most common glycogen storage disorder. It is caused by the deficiency of glucose-6-phosphatase, an enzyme which catalyses the final step of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis. Clinically, GSDIa is characterized by fasting hypoglycaemia and hepatic glycogen and triglyceride overaccumulation. The latter leads to steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and the formation of hepatic adenomas and carcinomas. Currently, little is known about the function of various organelles and their impact on metabolism in GSDIa. Accordingly, we investigated mitochondrial function in cell culture and mouse models of GSDIa. We found impairments in oxidative phosphorylation and changes in TCA cycle metabolites, as well as decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and deranged mitochondrial ultra-structure in these model systems. Mitochondrial content also was decreased, likely secondary to decreased mitochondrial biogenesis. These deleterious effects culminated in the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Taken together, our results demonstrate a role for mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of GSDIa, and identify a new potential target for the treatment of this disease. They also provide new insight into the role of carbohydrate overload on mitochondrial function in other hepatic diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Long-term chemogenetic activation of M1 glutamatergic neurons attenuates the behavioral and cognitive deficits caused by intracerebral hemorrhage.
    (Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 2020-06) Ling, Wen-Yuan; Cui, Ying; Gao, Jun-Ling; Jiang, Xiao-Hua; Wang, Kai-Jie; Tian, Yan-Xia; Sheng, Hua-Xin; Cui, Jian-Zhong
    Acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a life-threatening disease. It is often accompanied by severe neurological sequelae largely caused by the loss of integrity of the neural circuits. However, these neurological sequelae have few strong medical interventions. Designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) are important chemogenetic tools capable of precisely modulating the activity of neural circuits. They have been suggested to have therapeutic effects on multiple neurological diseases. Despite this, no empirical research has explored the effects of DREADDs on functional recovery after ICH. We aimed to explore whether the long-term excitation of glutamatergic neurons in primary motor cortex (M1) by DREADD could promote functional recovery after ICH. We used CaMKII-driven Gq/Gi-DREADDs to activate/inhibit M1 glutamatergic neurons for 21 consecutive days, and examined their effects on behavioral and cognitive deficits caused by ICH in a mouse model of ICH targeting striatum. Long-term chemogenetic activation of the M1 glutamatergic neurons increased the spatial memory and sensorimotor ability of mice suffering from ICH. It also attenuated the mitochondrial dysfunctions of striatal neurons by raising the ATP levels and mitochondrial membrane potential while decreasing the 8-OHdG levels. These results strongly suggest that selective stimulation of the M1 glutamatergic neurons contributes to functional recovery after ICH presumably through alleviation of mitochondrial dysfunctions.