Journal Article

Reproduction Does Not Adversely Affect Liver Mitochondrial Respiratory Function but Results in Lipid Peroxidation and Increased Antioxidants in House Mice

Sirman, Aubrey E., Potts, Wayne K., Hood, Wendy R., Mowry, Annelise V., Kavazis, Andreas N.

2016

Overview

Reproduction is thought to come at a cost to longevity. Based on the assumption that increased energy expenditure during reproduction is associated with increased free-radical production by mitochondria, oxidative damage has been suggested to drive this trade-off. We examined the impact of reproduction on liver mitochondrial function by utilizing post-reproductive and non-reproductive house mice (Mus musculus) living under semi-natural conditions. The age-matched post-reproductive and non-reproductive groups were compared after the reproductive females returned to a non-reproductive state, so that both groups were in the same physiological state at the time the liver was collected. Despite increased oxidative damage (p = 0.05) and elevated CuZnSOD (p = 0.002) and catalase (p = 0.04) protein levels, reproduction had no negative impacts on the respiratory function of liver mitochondria. Specifically, in a post-reproductive, maintenance state the mitochondrial coupling (i.e., respiratory control ratio) of mouse livers show no negative impacts of reproduction. In fact, there was a trend (p = 0.059) to suggest increased maximal oxygen consumption by liver mitochondria during the ADP stimulated state (i.e., state 3) in post-reproduction. These findings suggest that oxidative damage may not impair mitochondrial respiratory function and question the role of mitochondria in the trade-off between reproduction and longevity. In addition, the findings highlight the importance of quantifying the respiratory function of mitochondria in addition to measuring oxidative damage.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Adenosine diphosphate / Aging / Animals / Antioxidants / Antioxidants (Nutrients) / Biology / Biology and Life Sciences / Catalase / Catalase - metabolism / Deoxyribonucleic acid / Design / DNA / Electron transport / Energy expenditure / Female / Females / Free radicals / House mouse / Impact damage / Lipid Peroxidation / Liver / Longevity / Male / Males / Medicine / Medicine and Health Sciences / Metabolism / Mice / Mitochondria / Mitochondria, Liver - metabolism / Mitochondrial DNA / Mus musculus / Mutation / Nutrition research / Oxidative Phosphorylation / Oxidative Stress / Oxygen / Oxygen consumption / Peroxidation / Physiological aspects / Physiology / Reproduction / Research and Analysis Methods / Respiration / Respiratory function / Rodents / Senescence / Sexual behavior / Studies / Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism / Tradeoffs