Figure 6. Nitrite therapy effects on mitochondrial function.
Heart mitochondrial respiration time course where zero represents CPR start and shaded area indicates arrest. (A) Inhibition of pyruvate (complex I) mediated respiration was present at 5 (n=8) and 15 minutes (n=4) post-CPR but reversed by 1 hour. (B) Succinate (complex II) mediated respiration rates did not differ (n ≥ 4 for each time). Inset: sample traces of mitochondrial oxygen consumption 5 minutes post-CPR. (C) Complex I activity measured in sub-mitochondrial particles by NADH oxidation. Compared to placebo, nitrite therapy significantly reduced complex I activity 5 minutes post-CPR (n=7) which was reversed by 60 minutes. Inset: sample tracing 5 minutes post-CPR. Values denoted as means±SEM, analyzed at each time by paired t-test; *, p<0.01; †, p=0.021; ‡, p=0.014.