J Korean Soc Endocrinol.
2000 Jun;15(2):248-261.
The Correlation of Plasma Homocysteine and Mitochondrial DNA Content in Peripheral Blood in Healthy Women
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.
- 2The Institute of Endocrinology, Nutrition and Metabolism, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Korea.
- 3Department of Food and Nutrition, Yonsei University, Korea.
- 4College of Human Movement and Performance, Ewha Womans University, Korea.
- 5Department of Biomedical Sciences, National Institute of Health, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
- BACKGROUND
Hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Previous reports showed that homocysteine damages mitochondrial gene expression, function and structure. In recent years, homocysteine and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content are reported to relate with insulin resistance. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation of plasma homocysteine level and mitochondrial DNA content in peripheral blood.
METHODS
The mtDNA content, homocysteine and insulin resistance parameters were measured in healthy women (n=60). Plasma homocysteine level was measured by ion-exchange chromatography method and the mtDNA content in peripheral blood was measured by real time PCR method using ABI Prism 7700 machine.
RESULTS
Significant correlation was found between homocysteine and mtDNA content (r=-0.507, p<0.05). Homocysteine was correlated with age (r=0.397), cholesterol (r=0.327), LDL-cholesterol (r=0.318), apolipoprotein B (r=0.387), HbA1c (r=0.274) positively and folate (r=-0.262), apolipoprotein A1 (r=-0.293), VO2max (r=-0.332) negatively. Mitochondrial DNA content was correlated with age (r=-0.535), BMI (r=-0.397), cholesterol (r=-0.340), LDL-cholesterol (r=-0.319), apolipoprotein B (r=-0.367) negatively and apolipoprotein A1 (r=0.346), lactate (r=0.307), VO2max (r=0.308) positively. All correlations were statistically significant(p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
In this study, plasma homocysteine level was related with mitochondrial DNA content negatively and these two factors are estimated to be concerned with insulin resistance.