title: Mitochondrial alterations and tendency to apoptosis in peripheral blood cells from children with Down syndrome.
abstract: Different types of cells from subjects with Down syndrome (DS) have an increased susceptibility to cell death. We have studied apoptosis and mitochondrial (mt) membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from DS children and age-matched healthy donors after in vitro treatment with apoptogenic molecules, along with mtDNA content. We found that PBMC from DS and healthy controls had a similar tendency to undergo apoptosis and a similar amount of mtDNA. However, in cells from DS subjects, mitochondria showed a higher loss of DeltaPsi(m), underlying the presence of an increasing susceptibility of these organelles to damaging agents.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 287, 41100 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roat
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Prada
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferraresi
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giovenzana
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nasi
authors.forename: Leonarda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Troiano
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pinti
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nemes
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lugli
authors.forename: Ornella
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Biagioni
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mariotti
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ciacci
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Consolo
authors.forename: Fiorella
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Balli
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cossarizza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017209:Apoptosis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000097:blood; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial