Quantitative optical measurement of mitochondrial superoxide dynamics in pulmonary artery endothelial cells

Reactive oxygen species(ROS)play a vital role in cell signaling and redox regulation,but when present in excess,lead to numerous pathologies.Detailed quantitative characterization of mitochondrial superoxide anion(O^(·-)_(2))production in fetal pulmonary artery endothelia cells(PAECs)has never been reported.The aim of this study is to assess mitochondrial O^(·-)_(2)pro-duction in cultured PAECs over time using a novel quantitative optical approach.The rate,the sources,and the dynamics of O^(·-)_(2)production were assessed using targeted metabolic modulators of the mitochondrial electron transport chain(ETC)complexes,specifically an uncoupler and inhibitors of the various ETC complexes,and inhibitors of extra-mitochondrial sources of O^(·-)_(2).After stabilization,the cells were loaded with nanomolar mitochondrial-targeted hydroethidine(Mito-HE,MitoSOX)online during the experiment without washout of the residual dye.Time-lapse fuorescence microscopy was used to monitor the dynamic changes in O^(·-)_(2)fluorescence intensity over time in PAECs.The transient behaviors of the fuorescence time course showed exponential increases in the rate of O^(·-)_(2) production in the presence of the ETC uncoupler or inhibitors.The most dramatic and the fastest increase in O^(·-)_(2)production was observed when the cells were treated with the uncoupling agent,PCP.We also showed that only the complex IV inhibitor,KCN,attenuated the marked surge in O^(·-)_(2)production induced by PCP.The results showed that mitochondrial respiratory complexes I,III and IV are sources of O^(·-)_(2) production in PAECs,and a new observation that ROS production during uncoupling of mitochondrial res-piration is mediated in part via complex IV.This novel method can be applied in other studies that examine ROS production under stress condition and during ROS mediated injuries in vritro.