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. 1996 Mar 15;314(Pt 3):877–880. doi: 10.1042/bj3140877

Nitric oxide and peroxynitrite exert distinct effects on mitochondrial respiration which are differentially blocked by glutathione or glucose.

I Lizasoain 1, M A Moro 1, R G Knowles 1, V Darley-Usmar 1, S Moncada 1
PMCID: PMC1217138  PMID: 8615783

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite both inhibit respiration by brain submitochondrial particles, the former reversibly at cytochrome c oxidase, the latter irreversibly at complexes I-III. Both GSH (IC50 =10 microM) and glucose (IC50 = 8 mM) prevented inhibition of respiration by peroxynitrite (ONOO-), but neither glucose (100 mM) nor GSH (100 microM) affected that by NO. Thus, unless ONOO- is formed within mitochondria it is unlikely to inhibit respiration in cells directly, because of reactions with cellular thiols and carbohydrates. However, the reversible inhibition of respiration cytochrome c oxidase by NO is likely to occur (e.g. in the brain during ischaemia) and could be responsible for cytotoxicity.

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Selected References

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