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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Analysis of Brain Mitochondria Using Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy
07:47

Analysis of Brain Mitochondria Using Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: July 9, 2016

Mitochondrial viability in mouse and human postmortem brain.

Keri A Barksdale1, Emma Perez-Costas, Johanna C Gandy

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0017, USA.

FASEB Journal : Official Publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
|May 15, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Brain mitochondria retain energy production capabilities for hours after death, offering a valuable resource for studying metabolic processes. These mitochondria can also be cryopreserved for future research.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Mitochondrial Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Neuronal function relies on ATP, primarily produced by mitochondria.
  • Mitochondrial transmembrane potential (DeltaPsi(mem)) is crucial for ATP generation.
  • The viability of mitochondria from postmortem brain tissue for metabolic studies is largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the duration of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (DeltaPsi(mem)) and ATP production capacity in postmortem human and mouse brains.
  • To assess the impact of postmortem intervals on mitochondrial function.
  • To evaluate the potential for cryopreservation of postmortem brain mitochondria.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation of mitochondria from human brains up to 8.5 hours postmortem.
  • Isolation of mitochondria from mouse cortex across a 24-hour postmortem interval.
  • Measurement of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (DeltaPsi(mem)) and ATP production rates.
  • Assessment of mitochondrial function following cryopreservation.

Main Results:

  • Mitochondria from human brains maintained DeltaPsi(mem) and ATP production up to 8.5 hours postmortem.
  • Mouse brain mitochondria retained the ability to reconstitute DeltaPsi(mem) beyond 10 hours postmortem, with decreasing ATP production rates over time.
  • Complex I of the electron transport chain was adversely affected by increasing postmortem intervals.
  • Postmortem brain mitochondria retained functional capacities after cryopreservation.

Conclusions:

  • Postmortem brain mitochondria retain significant energy-generating capacity for hours after death, making them a viable source for research.
  • Cryopreservation offers a method to archive these mitochondria for future metabolic studies in health and disease.
  • These findings expand the potential for utilizing postmortem tissues in neuroscience and metabolic research.