[Role of rotenone in mitochondrial oxidative damage and the underlying mechanisms]

Rotenone is one of the typical inhibitors of the complex I on the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Numerous studies showed when applied to live animals or cells, rotenone could lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, ROS augment, and thus oxidative damage to proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. Through exploring the process of ROS generation in mitochondria, the relationship between rotenone and mitochondrial ROS generation and the role of rotenone in DNA damage, we elucidated the mechanisms of rotenone induced-mitochondrial oxidative damage. At the same time, we attempted to explore the mtDNA damage and the mutation induced by rotenone.