title: A metabolic role for mitochondria in palmitate-induced cardiac myocyte apoptosis.
abstract: After cardiac ischemia, long-chain fatty acids, such as palmitate, increase in plasma and heart. Palmitate has previously been shown to cause apoptosis in cardiac myocytes. Cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes were studied to assess mitochondrial alterations during apoptosis. Phosphatidylserine translocation and caspase 3-like activity confirmed the apoptotic action of palmitate. Cytosolic cytochrome c was detected at 8 h and plateaued at 12 h. The mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi) in tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester-loaded cardiac myocytes decreased significantly in individual mitochondria by 8 h. This loss was heterogeneous, with a few energized mitochondria per myocyte remaining at 24 h. Total ATP levels remained high at 16 h. The DeltaPsi loss was delayed by cyclosporin A, a mitochondrial permeability transition inhibitor. Mitochondrial swelling accompanied changes in DeltaPsi. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase I activity fell at 16 h; this decline was accompanied by ceramide increases that paralleled decreased complex III activity. We conclude that carnitine palmitoyltransferase I inhibition, ceramide accumulation, and complex III inhibition are downstream events in cardiac apoptosis mediated by palmitate and occur independent of events leading to caspase 3-like activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Sparagna
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Hickson-Bick
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Buja
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: McMillin
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D053148:Caspase 3; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002518:Ceramides / Q000378:metabolism; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D014450:Electron Transport Complex III / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008929:Mitochondria, Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008933:Mitochondrial Swelling / Q000187:drug effects; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010168:Palmitates / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D002518:Ceramides; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010168:Palmitates; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; D016572:Cyclosporine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D014450:Electron Transport Complex III