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Mitochondrial development in liver of foetal and newborn rats.

ABSTRACT: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INNER MITOCHONDRIAL MEMBRANE IN FOETAL AND NEONATAL RAT LIVER WAS STUDIED BY FOLLOWING THREE PARAMETERS: (1) the activity of several respiratory enzymes in homogenates and purified mitochondria, (2) the spectrophotometric determination of cytochrome content in the mitochondria and (3) the cardiolipin content in both homogenates and purified mitochondria. Respiratory-enzyme activities of homogenates of foetal liver were one-quarter to one-twentieth of those of homogenates of adult liver, and the enzyme specific activities in purified mitochondria from foetal liver were one-half to one-eighth of those in mitochondria from adult liver. The cardiolipin content of liver homogenates increased approximately twofold during the development period, but there was no significant change in the cardiolipin content of purified mitochondria. It is concluded that cell mitochondrial content approximately doubles in the immediate postnatal period. There was no evidence for an increase in the relative amount of cristae protein in mitochondria during this period to account for increases in mitochondrial enzyme specific activity, since cardiolipin and cytochrome concentrations remained unchanged and electron micrographs revealed no differences. The cause of the lower respiratory-enzyme specific activity in foetal liver mitochondria is unclear. Qualitative differences in respiratory units in foetal and mature animals are suggested.

SUBMITTER: Jakovcic S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1176575 | biostudies-other | 1971 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:BackgroundThymosin beta(4), its sulfoxide, and thymosin beta(10) were detected in whole saliva of human pre-term newborns by reversed-phase high performance chromatography coupled to electrospray ion-trap mass spectrometry.Methodology/principal findingsDespite high inter-individual variability, concentration of beta-thymosins increases with an inversely proportional trend to postmenstrual age (PMA: gestational age plus chronological age after birth) reaching a value more than twenty times higher than in adult whole saliva at 190 days (27 weeks) of PMA (thymosin beta(4) concentration: more than 2.0 micromol/L versus 0.1 micromol/L). On the other hand, the ratio between thymosin beta(4) and thymosin beta(10) exhibits a constant value of about 4 along all the range of PMA (190-550 days of PMA) examined. In order to investigate thymosin beta(4) origin and to better establish the trend of its production as a function of gestational age (GA), immunohistochemical analysis of major and minor salivary glands of different pre-term fetuses were carried out, starting from 84 days (12 weeks) of gestational age. Reactive granules were seen in all glands with a maximum of expression around 140-150 days of GA, even though with high inter- and intra-individual variability. In infants and adults reactive granules in acinar cells were not observed, but just a diffuse cytoplasmatic staining in ductal cells.SignificanceThis study outlines for the first time that salivary glands during foetal life express and secrete peptides such as beta-thymosins probably involved in the development of the oral cavity and its annexes. The secretion increases from about 12 weeks till to about 21 weeks of GA, subsequently it decreases, almost disappearing in the period of expected date of delivery, when the gland switches towards the secretion of adult specific salivary peptides. The switch observed may be an example of further secretion switches involving other exocrine and endocrine glands during foetal development.

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Mitochondrial development in liver of foetal and newborn rats.

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