Decreased ANT content in Zucker fatty rats: Relevance for altered hepatic mitochondrial bioenergetics in steatosis

• Main Author: Teodoro, João
• Publication Date: 2006
• Other Authors: Rolo, Anabela P., Oliveira, Paulo J., Palmeira, Carlos M.
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: https://hdl.handle.net/10316/5349; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2006.02.078
• topic: Non-alcoholic fatty liver; Mitochondrion; Oxidative phosphorylation

Mitochondria from Zucker fatty (ZF) rats (a model for fatty liver disease) showed a delay in the repolarization after a phosphorylative cycle and a decrease on state 3 respiration, suggesting alterations at the phosphorylative system level. The ATPase activity showed no differences between control and ZF rats, implying alterations in other components of the phosphorylative system. A pronounced depletion in the content of the adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) was observed by Western blotting, while no alterations were found in the mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel content. These data suggest that hepatic accumulation of fat impairs mitochondrial function, reflecting the loss of oxidative phosphorylation capacity caused by a decrease in the ANT content.