Increased hepatic mitochondrial capacity in rats with hydroxy-cobalamin[c-lactam]-induced methylmalonic aciduria

Treatment of rats with the vitamin B12 analogue hydroxy-cobalamin[c-lactam] (HCCL) impairs methylmalonyl-CoA mutase function and leads to methylmalonic aciduria due to intracellular accumulation of propionyl and methylmalonyl-CoA. Since accumulation of these acyl-CoAs disrupts normal cellular regulation, the present investigation characterized metabolism in hepatocytes and liver mitochondria from rats treated subcutaneously with HCCL or saline (control) by osmotic minipump. Consistent with decreased methylmalonyl-CoA mutase activity, 14CO2 production from 1-14C-propionate (1 mM) was decreased by 76% and 82% after 2-3 wk and 5-6 wk of HCCL treatment, respectively. In contrast, after 5-6 wk of HCCL treatment, 14CO2 production from 1-14C-pyruvate (10 mM) and 1-14C-palmitate (0.8 mM) were increased by 45% and 49%, respectively. In isolated liver mitochondria, state 3 oxidation rates were unchanged or decreased, and activities of the mitochondrial enzymes, citrate synthetase, succinate dehydrogenase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase, and glutamate dehydrogenase (expressed per milligram mitochondrial protein) were unaffected by HCCL treatment. In contrast, activities of the same enzymes were significantly increased in both liver homogenate (expressed per gram liver) and isolated hepatocytes (expressed per 10(6) cells) from HCCL-treated rats. The mitochondrial protein per gram liver, calculated on the basis of the recovery of the mitochondrial enzymes, increased by 39% in 5-6 wk HCCL-treated rats. Activities of lactate dehydrogenase, catalase, cyanide-insensitive palmitoyl-CoA oxidation, and arylsulfatase A in liver were not affected by HCCL treatment. Hepatic levels of mitochondrial mRNAs were elevated up to 10-fold in HCCL-treated animals as assessed by Northern blot analysis. Thus, HCCL treatment is associated with enhanced mitochondrial oxidative capacity and an increased mitochondrial protein content per gram liver. Increased mitochondrial oxidative capacity may be a compensatory mechanism in response to the metabolic insult induced by HCCL administration.