title: Antioxidant MCI-186 inhibits mitochondrial permeability transition pore and upregulates Bcl-2 expression.
abstract: Reperfusion after a period of ischemia is associated with the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca2+ overload resulting in the opening of a nonspecific pore in the inner membrane of the mitochondria, called the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP), leading to cell damage. Although endogenous antioxidants are activated because of oxidative stress following ischemia, their levels are not high enough to prevent reperfusion injury. Hence there is always a need for exogenous supplement of antioxidants, especially after acute ischemia. Here we demonstrated the effects of the antioxidant 3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one (MCI-186) in preventing reperfusion injury of the heart by inhibition of PTP opening. Ischemia (30 min) by left coronary artery (LCA) occlusion and reperfusion (120 min) in Wistar rats after pretreatment with MCI-186 (10 mg/kg iv) infusion starting from 30 min before LCA occlusion resulted in 1) less area of myocardial infarction (19.2% vs. 61.6%), 2) well-maintained myocardial ATP content (P < 0.03 vs. control), 3) decreased mitochondrial swelling and reduced cytochrome c release, 4) increased expression of BCl-2, 5) lower prevalence of apoptotic cells (14.3% vs. 2.9%), and 6) reduced DNA fragmentation in the MCI-186-treated group. These cytoprotective effects of MCI-186 were inhibited on opening PTP before MCI-186 treatment with the PTP activators lonidamine (10 mg/kg iv) or atractyloside (5 mg/kg iv) but failed to inhibit the protective effects exerted by another antioxidant, allopurinol, suggesting that the PTP inhibiting property is specific for MCI-186. These results demonstrate that the radical scavenger MCI-186, by inhibiting the opening of the PTP, prevents necrosis and cytochrome c release and hence pathological apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Kochi Medical School, Kohasu, Oko-cho, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan 783-8505.
authors.forename: Katare Gopalrao
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Rajesh
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasaguri
authors.forename: Ryoko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000983:Antipyrine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001278:Atractyloside / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D000077553:Edaravone; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006339:Heart Rate; D007191:Indazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008933:Mitochondrial Swelling / Q000187:drug effects*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007191:Indazoles; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D001278:Atractyloside; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D045304:Cytochromes c; D000077553:Edaravone; D000983:Antipyrine; C016371:lonidamine