title: Mitochondrial OXPHOS function is unaffected by chronic azithromycin treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Certain antibiotics may cause unwanted side effects due to the similarity of the mitochondrial translation system to the prokaryotic one. Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) are vulnerable to recurrent respiratory tract infections and azithromycin, a translation targeted antibiotic, is often used chronically to treat CF patients. No major clinical side effects were found with chronic treatment. However, mitochondrial function was not previously assessed. We evaluated oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in lymphocytes from children with CF receiving chronic azithromycin treatment using an improved ATP production assay.
  
  
  METHODS
  Enzymatic activities of respiratory chain complexes II-IV and ATP production were measured in lymphocytes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Relative to controls and to CF patients without azithromycin treatment, no significant difference in mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes II-IV was detected, and ATP production with pyruvate, glutamate and succinate, did not disclose any differences between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that chronic treatment with azithromycin does not significantly affect OXPHOS function.
authors.affiliation: Monique and Jacques Roboh Department of Genetic Research Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel; Department of Pediatrics Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem Israel; Division of Adolescent Medicine Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Shelly Ben-Harush
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Negari
authors.forename: Tzemach
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aouizerat
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tenenbaum
authors.forename: Malena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cohen-Cymberknoh
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shoseyov
authors.forename: Eitan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kerem
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saada
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I / Q000378:metabolism*; D042963:Electron Transport Complex II / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000502:physiology*; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; C478189:respiratory complex II; D017963:Azithromycin; D042963:Electron Transport Complex II; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I
keywords: Azithromycin; Chronic treatment; Cystic fibrosis; Mitochondrial respiratory chain; OXPHOS