Mitochondrial activities of a cell line derived from thyroid Hürthle cell tumors.
OBJECTIVE
We conducted a study on the functional characteristics of mitochondria in an oxyphilic thyroid tumor cell line, which may provide useful clues about Hürthle cell tumors carcinogenesis.


METHODS
The functional study on thyroid tumors with cell oxyphilia (Hürthle cell tumors), characterized by mitochondrial hyperplasia, was carried out in XTC.UC1, and B-CPAP, an oxyphilic and nonoxyphilic thyroid tumor cell line, respectively.


RESULTS
XTC.UC1 cell line showed higher activity of mitochondrial respiratory complexes I and II and decreased activity of complex III. The increased activity of complex I was not matched by increased expression of complex I subunits. The XTC.UC1 cells relied mostly on oxidative phosphorylation for energy conservation, although their mitochondrial energetic function was less efficient when related to mitochondrial content of the cells. Finally, the oxyphilic cell line produced significantly higher amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in comparison with B-CPAP cell line.


CONCLUSIONS
The involvement of ROS in mitochondrial biogenesis and proliferation as well as in carcinogenesis and apoptosis indicate that differences in activity of respiratory chain components and their unbalance may be responsible for development of morphological and functional changes observed in thyroid tumors with cell oxyphilia.
Stankov
Karmen
K
Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Cardioangiologia ed Epatologia, Unita' Operativa di Genetica Medica, Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy.
Biondi
Annalisa
A
D'Aurelio
Marilena
M
Gasparre
Giuseppe
G
Falasca
Anna
A
Romeo
Giovanni
G
Lenaz
Giorgio
G
D018249:Adenoma, Oxyphilic / Q000378:metabolism*; D000968:Antimycin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I / Q000378:metabolism; D042963:Electron Transport Complex II / Q000378:metabolism; D014450:Electron Transport Complex III / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*
D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D019344:Lactic Acid; D000968:Antimycin A; D042963:Electron Transport Complex II; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I; D014450:Electron Transport Complex III