Egidio Iorio1, Claudia Testa2, Francesco De Luca3, Cinzia Casieri4, Emanuela Lococo5, Roberto Carnevale5, Annarita Stringaro6, Maria Condello6, Giuseppe Arancia6, Luisa Lenti5, Luisa Lenti5, Roberto Strom7, Franca Podo1
1Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanit, Roma, Italy; 2University of Bologna, Italy; 3Physics, University La Sapienza, Roma, Italy; 4University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy; 5Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University La Sapienza, Roma, Italy; 6Technology and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanit, Rome, Italy; 7Cellular Biotechnologies and Haematology, University of La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
Several studies have reported the detection of mobile lipids (ML) signal in 1H MR spectra of intact cells under different physio-patological conditions. In this study we used a complex III inhibitor of mitochondrial electron transport antimycin A (AMC-A) in order to investigate the biochemical nature of ML formation and to monitor alterations of 13C label fluxes from [1-13C]-glucose in intact HuT 78 cells. We observed after 24h AMC-A treatment an over 10-fold increase in the ML signals and an incorporation of 13C label into ML signals. These results may open new perspectives to the development of non-invasive methods for in vivo monitoring the effects of mitochondrial impairment in a number of human diseases.