Effects of Inhibitors of the Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain on Fatty Acid Beta-Oxidation in Rat Brain Cultured Astrocytes

The high energy electrons generated by the oxidation of NADH and FADH2 are transferred through the mitochondrial respiratory chain, leading to the production of ATP, the main source of energy in the cells. Dysfunction of the respiratory chain occurs with aging(l, 2) and is a frequent feature of neurodegenerative diseases (3) Inhibitors of the respiratory chain complexes are useful tools to study the effects of selective blockade of these sites on energy metabolism. It has been shown that cultured astrocytes but not neurons or oligodendrocytes can utilize fatty acid as an energy source. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of inhibition of the respiratory chain at the different sites on fatty acid beta-oxidation in cultured astrocytes from neonatal rat brain.