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Nitric oxide mediates brain mitochondrial maturation immediately after birth
Author(s) -
Almeida Angeles,
Bolaños Juan P,
Medina José M
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(99)00628-6
Subject(s) - nitric oxide , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , mitochondrion , neuroscience , biophysics , biology , endocrinology
The possible role of nitric oxide (NO) in brain mitochondrial maturation was studied. Within the first 5 min after birth, a sharp increase in ATP concentrations was observed, coinciding with an increase in mitochondrial complex II‐III (succinate‐cytochrome c reductase) activity, while complex I (NADH‐CoQ 1 reductase) and complex IV (cytochrome c oxidase) activities remained unchanged. Under the same circumstances, cGMP concentrations were increased by 5 min after birth, correlating significantly with ATP concentrations. Since ATP concentrations also correlated significantly with mitochondrial complex II‐III activity, these three parameters may be associated. Inhibition of NO synthase activity brought about by the administration of N ω ‐nitro‐ L ‐arginine monomethyl ester to mothers prevented the postnatal increase in cGMP and ATP levels and complex II‐III activity. These results suggest that early postnatal mitochondrial maturation in the brain is a NO‐mediated process.