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Abstract

Objectives: This study investigated the feasibility of using a phosphorescence oxygen analyser to measure cellular respiration (mitochondrial O2 consumption) in foreskin samples and their fibroblast-rich cultures.Methods: Foreskin specimens from normal infants were collected immediately after circumcision and processed for measuring cellular respiration and for culture. Cellular mitochondrial O2 consumption was determined as a function of time from the phosphorescence decay of the Pd (II) meso-tetra-(4-sulfonatophenyl)-tetrabenzoporphyrin. Results: In sealed vials containing a foreskin specimen and glucose, O2 concentration decreased linearly with time, confirming the zero-order kinetics of O2 consumption by cytochrome oxidase. Cyanide inhibited O2 consumption, confirming that the oxidation occurred mainly in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The rate of foreskin respiration (mean ± SD) was 0.074 ± 0.02 μM O2 min-1 mg-1 (n = 23). The corresponding rate for fibroblast-rich cultures was 9.84 ± 2.43 μM O2 min-1 per 107 cells (n = 15). Fibroblast respiration was significantly lower in a male infant with dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase gene mutations, but normalised with the addition of thiamine or carnitine. Conclusion: The foreskin and its fibroblast-rich culture are suitable for assessment of cellular respiration. However, the clinical utility of foreskin specimens to detect disorders of impaired cellular bioenergetics requires further investigation.

Article Type

Original Study

Publication Date

6-25-2013

First Page

411

Last Page

416

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

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