Mitochondria Enter the Nucleus (One Further Problem in Chronic Alcoholism)

L. E. Bakeeva¹, V. P. Skulachev^1*, Yu. V. Sudarikova², and V. G. Tsyplenkova²

¹Department of Bioenergetics, Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119899 Russia; fax: (095) 939-0338; E-mail: skulach@genebee.msu.su

²Russian Cardiology Complex, Ministry of Health and Medical Industry, Moscow, Russia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received September 6, 2001

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Electron microscopy of cardiomyocytes of patients with hypertrophic and alcoholic cardiomyopathies revealed the presence of nuclei with mitochondria accumulated in their core. This was associated with chromatin displacement to periphery of the nucleus. No large-scale intermixing of the nuclear content with the cytosol was found, although in some sections there were disruptions in the nuclear envelop continuity. The entrance of mitochondria into the nucleus was modeled in rats that were given ethanol and the catalase inhibitor aminotriazole for 12 weeks. It is suggested that the entrance of mitochondria into the nucleus promotes both the attack of mitochondria by nuclear proteins and the attack of nuclear DNA and proteins by proteins of the mitochondrial intermembrane space.

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KEY WORDS: mitochondria, nucleus, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, electron microscopy

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