Dopamine Coupling to Mitochondrial Signaling: Implications for Transplantation

The persistence of major medical disorders afflicting millions of humans worldwide involves a functional pathophysiological coupling of systemic pro-inflammatory processes and tissue hypoxia. Mechanistically, reciprocal triggering of multiple ischemic/hypoxic and pro-inflammatory events, if not corrected, will promote pathophysiological amplification leading to a deleterious cascade of bio-senescent cellular and molecular signaling pathways that converge to markedly impair mitochondrial energy production. Given the level of energy production and utilization that can vary in and between cells and regionally in the same type of cells found in the body, e.g., dopamine neurons, the metabolic energy regulator, the mitochondrion, assumes a high position in the potential to maintain normal health and develop abnormal activities, resulting in chronic pathologies. The intra-mitochondrial availability of molecular oxygen as the ultimate electron acceptor drives the evolutionarily fashioned chemiosmotic production of ATP as a high-efficiency biological proton pump process. The mechanistic evolutionary bases of diabetes have demonstrated the profound alteration of normative mitochondrial function, notably deregulated respiratory processes. This same phenomenon provides evidence of mitochondrial linkages to neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease. To date, and despite considerable research efforts, the practical realization of advanced mitochondrial targeted therapies has not been forthcoming.