Biomedical subjects

P C de Jonge

Publications and source records attributed to P C de Jonge.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

Myopathy in very-long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency: clinical and biochemical differences with the fatal cardiac phenotype.

A 30-year-old man suffered since the age of 13 years from exercise induced episodes of intense generalised muscle pain, weakness and myoglobinuria. Fasting ketogenesis was low, while blood glucose remained normal. Muscle mitochondria failed to oxidise palmitoylcarnitine. Palmitoyl-CoA dehydrogenase was deficient in muscle and fibroblasts, consistent with deficiency of very-long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD). The gene of this enzyme had a homozygous deletion of three base pairs in exon 9, skipping lysine residue 238. Fibroblasts oxidised myristate, palmitate and oleate at a rate of 129, 62 and 38% of controls. In contrast to patients with cardiac VLCAD deficiency, our patient had no lipid storage, a normal heart function, a higher rate of oleate oxidation in fibroblasts and normal free carnitine in plasma and fibroblasts. 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of muscle showed a normal oxidative phosphorylation as assessed by phosphocreatine recovery, but a significant increase in pH and in Pi/ATP ratio.

Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase, Long-Chain↗

PubMed1990

Primary carnitine deficiency.

Carnitine deficiency can be defined as a decrease of intracellular carnitine, leading to an accumulation of acyl-CoA esters and an inhibition of acyl-transport via the mitochondrial inner membrane. This may cause disease by the following processes. A. Inhibition of the mitochondrial oxidation of long-chain fatty acids during fasting causes heart or liver failure. The latter may cause encephalopathy by hypoketonaemia, hypoglycaemia and hyperammonaemia. B. Increased acyl-CoA esters inhibit many enzymes and carriers. Long-chain acyl-CoA affects mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation at the adenine nucleotide carrier, and also inhibits other mitochondrial enzymes such as glutamate dehydrogenase, carnitine acetyltransferase and NAD(P) transhydrogenase. C. Accumulation of triacylglycerols in organs increases stress susceptibility by an exaggerated response to hormonal stimuli. D. Decreased mitochondrial acetyl-export lowers acetylcholine synthesis in the nervous system. Primary carnitine deficiency can be defined as a genetic defect in the transport or biosynthesis of carnitine. Until now only defects at the level of carnitine transport have been discovered. The most severe form of primary carnitine deficiency is the consequence of a lesion of the carnitine transport protein in the brush border membrane of the renal tubules. This defect causes cardiomyopathy or hepatic encephalopathy usually in combination with skeletal myopathy. In a patient with cardiomyopathy and without myopathy, we found that carnitine transport at the level of the small intestinal epithelial brush border was also inhibited. The patient was cured by carnitine supplementation. Muscle carnitine increased, but remained too low. This suggests that carnitine transport in muscle is also inhibited. Carnitine transport in fibroblasts was normal, which disagrees with literature reports for similar patients.

Carnitine↗

PubMed1982

THe proton-per-electron stoicheiometry of 'site 1' of oxidative phosphorylation at high protonmotive force is close to 1.5.

The maximum redox potential difference between the NAD+/NADH couple and the succinate/fumarate couple generated during ATP-energized reduction of NAD+ by succinate in submitochondrial particles was measured, together with the electrochemical potential difference for protons (delta mu approximately H+). The presence of cyanide, the time-independence of the redox potential difference and the irrelevance of the initial redox state of the NAD+/NADH couple ensured that the experimental situation corresponded to a 'static-head condition' with delta mu approximately H+ as the input force and the redox potential difference as the output force, the flow of electrons having reached dynamic equilibrium. Consequently, the observed value of 1.6 for the ratio delta Ge/delta mu approximately H+ is interpreted as indicating that the leads to H+/e- stoicheiometry at 'site 1' is 1.5 and that therefore the mechanism of the proton pump at 'site 1' is not of the group-translocation type (no direct leads to e - leads to H+ coupling).

Adenosine Triphosphate↗