title: Mitochondrial alterations induced by aspirin in rat hepatocytes expressing mitochondrially targeted green fluorescent protein (mtGFP).
abstract: Mitochondria in primary living hepatocytes were visualized in cells transfected with a chimeric plasmid encoding for the green fluorescent protein (GFP) of Aequorea victoria engineered to be specifically targeted to mitochondria, as described recently (Rizutto et al. (1995) Curr. Biol. 5, 635-642). The identification of the fluorescent organelles as authentic mitochondria was confirmed by double labeling with rhodamine 123. Acetylsalicylate treatment of hepatocytes induced in mitochondria typical morphological alterations closely analogous to the swelling promoted by acetylsalicylate in isolated mitochondria. Cyclosporin A, which in isolated mitochondria prevents the changes induced by acetylsalicylate, had no protective action but induced per se specific alterations in the morphology of mitochondria. Moreover, exposure of hepatocytes to cyclosporin A followed by acetylsalicylate caused the same mitochondrial changes induced by each of the two compounds separately. The structural alterations caused by acetylsalicylate were constantly associated with a decrease in mitochondrial urea synthesis and cell viability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, CNR Center for the Study of Mitochondrial Physiology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Venerando
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Miotto
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pizzo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzuto
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Siliprandi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001241:Aspirin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020112:Rhodamine 123; D012235:Rhodamines; D014162:Transfection; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D012235:Rhodamines; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D020112:Rhodamine 123; D016572:Cyclosporine; D014508:Urea; D001241:Aspirin