Accumulation of Exogenous Amyloid-Beta Peptide in Hippocampal Mitochondria Causes Their Dysfunction: A Protective Role for Melatonin
Figure 9
Aβ reduces mitochondrial membrane fluidity closely related to free radical overproduction and to the respiratory control ratio. Measured by estimating the excimer to monomer fluorescence intensity ratio (Ie/Im) of DPP, membrane fluidity in mitochondrial membranes was evaluated in order to show how Aβ, imported from the outside the cell membrane, is able to cause mitochondrial damage once incorporated within this organelle. We found that the groups producing more free radicals (fAβ and H2O2 groups), showed more altered membrane fluidity and RCR as compared to PBS-injected brains used as controls (). By using melatonin, both membrane fluidity and RCR were significantly ameliorated (fAβ + Mel and H2O2 + Mel groups).
