Differences and Similarities between Mitochondrial Metabolic Functions in the Brain Monitored in vitro and in vivo | Chapter 8 | Contemporary Research and Perspectives in Biological Science Vol. 11

Although mitochondria were discovered more than 150 years ago, monitoring of mitochondrial function in patients in real time and in vivo is very rare. The pioneer work of Chance, Williams, Connelly, Theorell and other collaborators in the early 1950s opened up new possibilities, enabling the study of mitochondrial function in vitro, and later on, in vivo monitoring became a reality. In most of the studies published in this field, isolated mitochondria or isolated cells in vitro were and are in use, and therefore, the technology used in those studies cannot be adapted to patient monitoring. Evaluation of mitochondrial function by optical monitoring of NADH redox state could be used in isolated mitochondria as well as in patients under various clinical situations. Therefore, we developed a medical device that could provide real-time data on mitochondrial function as well as microcirculatory blood flow and oxygenation using optical-based technology. In order to improve significantly, the outcome of patients in critical care medicine and other conditions it is necessary to adapt our device that was cleared by the FDA. The result revealed that, under in vivo conditions, the "resting" metabolic state of the brain is found between States 4 and 3 rather than in State 4. In order to determine the maximal levels of NADH in vivo, it is almost impossible to use cyanide, therefore, 100% nitrogen was used until the cessation of respiration and the recovery to air was monitored. It is almost impossible to achieve the minimal level of NADH (maximum oxidation) in vivo as compared to the level determined in State 2 when substrate availability is minimal. Using fiber optic fluorometry, the brain in anesthetized and awake rats was measured under various perturbations in vivo, with changes in NADH redox state and other physiological parameters recorded. Our preliminary results in patients indicate that our approach of monitoring of tissue vitality is the next step in improving the health of humankind.

 

Author (s) Details

Avraham Mayevsky
The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and the Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel.

 

 

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