Rabbit Anti-Human COX4 (a.a. 23-169) Polyclonal antibody

Oxygen is the ultimate electron acceptor for mitochondrial respiration, a process catalyzed by cytochrome c oxidase (COX). In mammals, oxygen concentration regulates gene transcription of COX subunit IV isoforms. Here, we demonstrate that chemical hypoxia, i.e. inhibition of mitochondrial respiration by application of the COX inhibitors cobalt, cyanide, and azide, affects COX isoform IV-1 and IV-2 transcription in a gender- and brain region-specific way. After treatment with cyanide and cobalt, female cortical and mesencephalic astrocytes, respectively, revealed an up-regulation of COX IV-2 which was accompanied by increased ROS production and necrotic cell death. In male astrocytes, the ratio of COX IV-1/COX IV-2 was lowest after treatment with cobalt and paralleled by highest levels of ROS production and necrosis. These results support the view of a causal correlation of COX IV-2 transcription with cellular oxidative stress and cell death and highlight a gender specificity of these effects. By comparing three toxins, cobalt represented the most potent inducer of overall cell death and resembled most closely the previously observed effects of oxygen deprivation on decreasing the cox4i1/cox4i2 ratio. Overall, an increased sensitivity of male compared with female cell viability towards the toxins was detected. These regulatory responses might be causative for the known gender specificity of toxic and neurodegenerative processes in the brain.

In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that niacin increases the oxidative capacity of muscle by increasing the oxidative type I muscle fiber content. Twenty-four obese Zucker rats were assigned to 2 groups of 12 rats that were fed either a control diet (0 group) or a diet supplemented with 750 mg/kg diet niacin (O+N group) for 4 wk. In addition, one group of lean rats (L group) was included in the experiment and fed the control diet for 4 wk. Plasma and liver concentrations of TG were markedly greater in obese groups than in the L group but markedly lower in the O+N group than in the 0 group (P<0.05). Rats of the O+N group had a higher percentage of oxidative type I fibers and higher mRNA levels of genes encoding regulators of muscle fiber composition (Ppard, Ppargc1a, Ppargc1b), angiogenic factors (Vegfa, Vegfb), and genes involved in fatty acid utilization (Cpt1b, Slc25a20, Slc22a4, Slc22a5, Slc27a1) and oxidative phosphorylation (Cox4i1, Cox6a2) and a higher activity of the mitochondrial oxidative enzyme succinate dehydrogenase in muscle than rats of the 0 and L groups (P < 0.05). These niacin-induced changes in muscle metabolic phenotype are indicative of an increased capacity of muscle for oxidative utilization of fatty acids and are likely mediated by the upregulation of Ppard, Ppargc1a, and Ppargc1b, which are key regulators of muscle fiber composition, mitochondrial biogenesis, angiogenesis, and genes involved in fatty acid catabolism and oxidative phosphorylation. The increased utilization of fatty acids by muscle might contribute to the strong TG-lowering effect of niacin treatment. J. Nutr. 143: 125-131, 2013.