title: Mitochondrial DNA abnormalities in skeletal muscle of patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease affecting the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord and cortical motor neurons. Previous findings have suggested a specific impairment of mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle of at least a limited number of patients. Applying flavoprotein/NAD(P)H autofluorescence imaging of mitochondrial function in saponin-permeabilized muscle fibres, we detected a heterogeneous distribution of the respiratory chain defect among individual fibres in muscle biopsies of patients (11 out of 17) with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS). These findings correlate with the presence of cytochrome c oxidase (COX)-negative muscle fibres detected histologically. We established the molecular basis for the decreased activities of NADH:CoQ oxidoreductase and COX in SALS muscle. In the skeletal muscle of the investigated patients, diminished levels (13 out of 17) or multiple deletions (one out of 17) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were observed. These alterations of mtDNA seem to be related to decreased levels of membrane-associated mitochondrial Mn-superoxide dismutase. Our results support the viewpoint that an oxygen radical-induced impairment of mtDNA is of pathophysiological significance in the aetiology of at least a subgroup of patients with SALS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuropathology, University of Magdeburg Medical Center, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vielhaber
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kunz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Wiedemann
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kirches
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feistner
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Heinze
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Elger
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kunz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008875:Middle Aged; D008931:Mitochondria, Muscle / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism; D017384:Sequence Deletion / Q000235:genetics; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase