A review of the mitochondrial and glycolytic metabolism in human platelets and
leukocytes: Implications for their use as bioenergetic biomarkers.
Authors Kramer PA, Ravi S, Chacko B, Johnson MS, Darley-Usmar VM
Submitted By Victor Darley-Usmar on 12/8/2014
Status Published
Journal Redox biology
Year 2014
Date Published
Volume : Pages 2 : 206 - 210
PubMed Reference 24494194
Abstract The assessment of metabolic function in cells isolated from human blood for
treatment and diagnosis of disease is a new and important area of translational
research. It is now becoming clear that a broad range of pathologies which
present clinically with symptoms predominantly in one organ, such as the brain
or kidney, also modulate mitochondrial energetics in platelets and leukocytes
allowing these cells to serve as "the canary in the coal mine" for bioenergetic
dysfunction. This opens up the possibility that circulating platelets and
leukocytes can sense metabolic stress in patients and serve as biomarkers of
mitochondrial dysfunction in human pathologies such as diabetes,
neurodegeneration and cardiovascular disease. In this overview we will describe
how the utilization of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation differs in
platelets and leukocytes and discuss how they can be used in patient
populations. Since it is clear that the metabolic programs between leukocytes
and platelets are fundamentally distinct the measurement of mitochondrial
function in distinct cell populations is necessary for translational research.


Investigators with authorship
NameInstitution
Victor Darley-UsmarUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham
Richard McIndoeAugusta University

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