title: A rapid method for the evaluation of compounds with mitochondria-protective properties.
abstract: Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in a number of neurodegenerative diseases, such as ischemia and Parkinson's disease. We present here a method that allows the rapid quantification of interventions, aimed at inhibiting the effect of mitochondrial membrane potential uncouplers, based on the ratioing properties of the fluorescent probe 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolcarbocyanine iodide (JC-1), by using currently available 96-well fluorescent plate readers. A method is presented for evaluation of cross-talk between the two excitation/emission channels. Further characterization of the probe shows that the effect of plasma membrane potential changes on JC-1 fluorescence ratio are negligible, but that the signal is very sensitive to pH. One of the most exciting applications is the possibility to perform end-point measurements, thanks to the ratioing properties of the probe. The system is tested in different culture types with different mitochondrial uncouplers. As an example of a quantitative evaluation, we show that flunarizine is able to inhibit, dose-dependently, FCCP mediated JC-1 signal increase. The procedure is simple and allows for the fast screening of mitochondria-protective compounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Physiology, Janssen Research Foundation, Beerse, Belgium.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nuydens
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Novalbos
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dispersyn
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borgers
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Geerts
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D002232:Carbocyanines; D002259:Carbonyl Cyanide p-Trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005444:Flunarizine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D016716:PC12 Cells; D051381:Rats; D014475:Uncoupling Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001562:Benzimidazoles; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D002232:Carbocyanines; D014475:Uncoupling Agents; C068624:5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolocarbocyanine; D002259:Carbonyl Cyanide p-Trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone; D005444:Flunarizine