Mitochondrial dysfunction bridges negative affective disorders and cardiomyopathy in socially isolated rats: Pros and cons of fluoxetine.

Objectives Depression is tightly associated with cardiovascular comorbidity and accounts for high financial and social burden worldwide. Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the pathophysiology of depression and cardiovascular disorders; its contribution to depression-cardiovascular comorbidity has not yet been investigated. Methods Adolescent rats were subjected to 4 weeks of isolation (social isolation stress or SIS) or social conditions (control), and then they were divided into treatment (fluoxetine, 7.5 mg/kg/day for 21 days) and non-treatment groups. After different housing conditions and treatment, animals were evaluated by behavioural tests (n = 6-8) and mitochondrial assessments (n = 3) of brain and cardiac tissues. Results We found that juvenile SIS induced behavioural abnormalities and mitochondrial dysfunction in adulthood. We showed that juvenile SIS was associated with impaired respiratory chain complex, which leads to reactive oxygen species formation, oxidative damage and ATP abatement in both brain and heart. Administration of FLX (7.5 mg/kg/day) during the isolation period attenuated the effects of SIS on the brain mitochondria and behavioural abnormalities, but had little or no effect on SIS-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in cardiac tissue. Conclusions This suggests that juvenile SIS predisposes the co-occurrence of depression and cardiovascular disease through mitochondrial dysfunction and that therapeutic effect of fluoxetine is partly mediated by its effect on mitochondrial function.

Protective mechanisms of Cucumis sativus in diabetes-related modelsof oxidative stress and carbonyl stress.

INTRODUCTION: Oxidative stress and carbonyl stress have essential mediatory roles in the development of diabetes and its related complications through increasing free radicals production and impairing antioxidant defense systems. Different chemical and natural compounds have been suggested for decreasing such disorders associated with diabetes. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the protective effects of Cucumis sativus (C. sativus) fruit (cucumber) in oxidative and carbonyl stress models. These diabetes-related models with overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive carbonyl species (RCS) simulate conditions observed in chronic hyperglycemia. METHODS: Cytotoxicity induced by cumene hydroperoxide (oxidative stress model) or glyoxal (carbonyl stress model) were measured and the protective effects of C. sativus were evaluated using freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. RESULTS: Aqueous extract of C. sativus fruit (40 µg/mL) prevented all cytotoxicity markers in both the oxidative and carbonyl stress models including cell lysis, ROS formation, membrane lipid peroxidation, depletion of glutathione, mitochondrial membrane potential decline, lysosomal labialization, and proteolysis. The extract also protected hepatocytes from protein carbonylation induced by glyoxal. Our results indicated that C. sativus is able to prevent oxidative stress and carbonyl stress in the isolated hepatocytes. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that C. sativus has protective effects in diabetes complications and can be considered a safe and suitable candidate for decreasing the oxidative stress and carbonyl stress that is typically observed in diabetes mellitus.

Mitochondrial oxidative stress and dysfunction induced by isoniazid: study on isolated rat liver and brain mitochondria.

Isoniazid (INH or isonicotinic hydrazide) is used for the treatment and prophylaxis of tuberculosis. Liver and brain are two important target organs in INH toxicity. However, the exact mechanisms behind the INH hepatotoxicity or neurotoxicity have not yet been completely understood. Considering the mitochondria as one of the possible molecular targets for INH toxicity, the aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanisms of INH mitochondrial toxicity on isolated mitochondria. Mitochondria were isolated by differential ultracentrifugation from male Sprague-Dawley rats and incubated with different concentrations of INH (25-2000 µM) for the investigation of mitochondrial parameters. The results indicated that INH could interact with mitochondrial respiratory chain and inhibit its activity. Our results showed an elevation in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, lipid peroxidation and mitochondrial membrane potential collapse after exposure of isolated liver mitochondria in INH. However, different results were obtained in brain mitochondria. Noteworthy, significant glutathione oxidation, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion and lipid peroxidation were observed in higher concentration of INH, as compared to liver mitochondria. In conclusion, our results suggest that INH may initiate its toxicity in liver mitochondria through interaction with electron transfer chain, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial membrane potential decline and cytochrome c expulsion which ultimately lead to cell death signaling.

Toxicity of valproic acid in isolated rat liver mitochondria.

Valproic acid (VPA), an anticonvulsant and mood-stabilizing drug, is widely used for the treatment of different types of seizures and myoclonic epilepsy. Several mechanisms have been suggested for VPA hepatotoxicity, and most of them are associated with oxidative stress. It seems that oxidative stress by VPA treatment has been associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Therefore, this study investigated the mitochondrial toxicity mechanisms of VPA on freshly isolated rat mitochondria for better understanding pathogenesis of VPA in mitochondrial toxicity. Rat liver mitochondria were obtained by differential ultracentrifugation and were then incubated with different concentrations of VPA (25-200 µM). Our results showed that VPA could induce oxidative stress via rising in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species formation, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial membrane potential collapse, mitochondrial swelling and finally release of cytochrome c. These effects were well inhibited by pretreatment of isolated mitochondria with cyclosporin A and butylated hydroxytoluene. Based on these results, it is clear that VPA exerts mitochondrial toxicity by impairing mitochondrial functions leading to oxidative stress and cytochrome c expulsion, which start cell death signaling.