[Functional disorders of FOF1-ATPase in submitochondrial particles obtained from platelets of patients with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease].
BACKGROUND
Recent studies indicate that decreased energy generation by mitochondria is a feature that is common across neurodegenerative diseases.


METHODS
In order to obtain direct evidence that mitochondrial functioning is altered, we measured the hydrolytic activity of F0F1-ATPase and its capacity to generate a stable proton gradient in submitochondrial particles in 29 patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD). Submitochondrial particles were obtained from platelets of patients with a diagnosis of probable AD and from clinically healthy controls.


RESULTS
Data revealed that the hydrolytic activity of F0F1-ATPase increases significantly in patients with probable AD (41.7+/-4.3 nmol PO4 min-1[mg protein]-1, n=29) as compared to the control subjects (29.1+/-1.9 nmol PO4 min-1 [mg protein]-1, n=29). It is important to note that, in the male population with probable AD, we found that hydrolytic activity of F0F1-ATPase increased as cerebral deterioration progressed. We also detected a lower pH gradient in the submitochondrial particles of patients with probable AD (0.28+/-0.08 pH units, n=25) as compared to the controls (0.5+/-0.1 pH units, n=20).


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, these data point to an alteration in the functioning of the enzyme.
Martínez-Cano
E
E
Laboratorio de Desarrollo-Envejecimiento, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas. Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente (CIBO), HECMNO, IMSS, Jalisco, Mexico.
Ortiz-Genaro
G
G
Pacheco-Moisés
F
F
Macías-Islas
M A
MA
Sánchez-Nieto
S
S
Rosales-Corral
S A
SA
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013367:Submitochondrial Particles / Q000201:enzymology*
D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases