title: Nitric oxide mediates brain mitochondrial maturation immediately after birth.
abstract: 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-CoQ1 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(omega)-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.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bolaños
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Medina
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D042963:Electron Transport Complex II; D014450:Electron Transport Complex III / Q000378:metabolism; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000378:metabolism; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / Q000378:metabolism; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D042963:Electron Transport Complex II; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone); D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase; D014450:Electron Transport Complex III; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester