Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Phosphorus-31 Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: A Tool for Measuring In Vivo Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation Capacity in Human Skeletal Muscle
09:40

Phosphorus-31 Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: A Tool for Measuring In Vivo Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation Capacity in Human Skeletal Muscle

Published on: January 19, 2017

12.4K

Mitochondrial DNA content and function, childhood obesity, and insulin resistance

Zohreh Shoar1, Michael J Goldenthal2, Francesco De Luca1

  • 1a Section of Endocrinology and Diabetes and.

Endocrine Research
|October 30, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Mitochondrial DNA content correlates with childhood obesity but not metabolic syndrome markers. Further research is needed to understand the link between mitochondrial function, body fat, and insulin resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Mitochondrial Biology
  • Metabolic Health

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing concern with potential links to metabolic dysfunction.
  • Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in metabolic diseases.
  • Understanding the role of mitochondria in pediatric obesity is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare mitochondrial enzyme activity in obese versus non-obese children.
  • To investigate the association between mitochondrial DNA content, function, and metabolic syndrome markers in obese children.

Main Methods:

  • Collected anthropometric and clinical data from 140 children (2-18 years).
  • Assessed mitochondrial respiratory enzyme activity (Complex I, IV, Citrate Synthase) from buccal swabs.
  • Quantitated serum metabolic parameters and mitochondrial DNA (mt/nDNA ratio) in mononuclear cells of obese children.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in respiratory complex enzyme activity between obese and normal-weight children.
  • In obese children, the mitochondrial to nuclear DNA (mt/nDNA) ratio positively correlated with BMI Z-score and percentile.
  • Complex IV activity showed a positive association with fasting insulin levels, explaining 45% of its variation.

Conclusions:

  • Mitochondrial DNA content is directly related to childhood obesity.
  • Mitochondrial DNA content is not associated with metabolic syndrome markers or insulin resistance in children.
  • Larger longitudinal studies are required to clarify the relationship between mitochondrial function, adiposity, and insulin resistance.
Abstract

Keywords:
Childhood obesitymitochondrial contentmitochondrial functionmitochondrial respiratory complexes

More Related Videos

High-resolution Respirometry to Measure Mitochondrial Function of Intact Beta Cells in the Presence of Natural Compounds12:32

High-resolution Respirometry to Measure Mitochondrial Function of Intact Beta Cells in the Presence of Natural Compounds

Published on: January 23, 2018

13.1K
Sample Preparation to Bioinformatics Analysis of DNA Methylation: Association Strategy for Obesity and Related Trait Studies14:56

Sample Preparation to Bioinformatics Analysis of DNA Methylation: Association Strategy for Obesity and Related Trait Studies

Published on: May 6, 2022

5.3K

Related Concept Videos

Animal Mitochondrial Genetics02:59

Animal Mitochondrial Genetics

Among all the organelles in an animal cell, only mitochondria have their own independent genomes. Animal mitochondrial DNA is a double-stranded, closed-circular molecule with around 20,000 base pairs. Mitochondrial DNA is unique in that one of its two strands, the heavy, or H, -strand is guanine rich, whereas the complementary strand is cytosine rich and called the light, or L, -strand. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA has a very low percentage of non-coding regions and is marked by...
10.0K
Mitochondria01:37

Mitochondria

Mitochondria are eukaryotic cellular organelles that are known to produce energy through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. Besides their primary function, mitochondria are involved in various cellular processes, including cell growth, differentiation, signaling, metabolism, and senescence. Age-related changes cause a decline in mitochondrial quality and integrity due to increased mitochondrial mutations and oxidative damage. Thus, aging can severely impact mitochondrial functions,...
21.4K
Obesity01:24

Obesity

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in...
1.5K
Mitochondrial Membranes01:45

Mitochondrial Membranes

A single mitochondrion is a bean-shaped organelle enclosed by a double-membrane system. The outer membrane of mitochondria is smooth and contains many porins - the integral membrane transporters. Porins enable free diffusion of ions and small uncharged molecules through the outer mitochondrial membrane but limit the transport of molecules larger than 5000 Daltons. Further, the outer mitochondrial membrane forms a unique structure called membrane contact sites with other subcellular organelles,...
17.8K
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
38.7K
Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts01:13

Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts

De novo myogenesis, or the formation of muscle fibers, begins during the early embryonic stages. The skeletal muscle is formed from somites– blocks of embryonic cell layers. The somites are further divided into dermatomes, myotomes, sclerotomes, and syndetomes. Among these, the myotomes give rise to muscle fibers.
Muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) are formed from the myotomes. MPCs express genes that encode the transcription factors Pax3 and Pax7. Along with Pax 3/7, other transcription...
7.1K