Evaluation of the interaction between eNOS uncoupling and mitochondrial oxidative stress in adipocytes

• Grant number: 24/01153-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2024
• End date: August 29, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Luciana Venturini Rossoni
• Grantee: Beatriz Monteiro Curcio
• Supervisor: Huige Li
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/09161-9 - Evaluation of aortic perivascular adipose tissue function in pre-hypertensive spontaneously hypertensive rats: effect of mitochondrial antioxidant treatment with MitoTEMPO, BP.IC

Abstract

In cardiometabolic diseases, such as arterial hypertension, it has been shown that the perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is dysfunctional with loss of its anticontractile effect. It has already been demonstrated, in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) , an association between the thoracic aorta PVAT's dysfunction and reduced levels of vasodilator mediators, adipose tissue whitening, and local inflammation. Previous results from our research group associate the observed dysfunction with lower response induced by nitric oxide (NO), endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) uncoupling, and the presence of oxidative stress, with impairment of the mitochondrial antioxidant defense. Recently, some studies have demonstrated the existence of an interaction between mitochondria and NO synthase enzymes, especially when it comes to oxygen consumption. However, literature lacks information about the relation between mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) and eNOS uncoupling, a phenomenon closely related to redox imbalance. Therefore, this project aims to evaluate the ability of mtROS to induce eNOS uncoupling in adipocytes.