Fanny Caffin

Publications (2)9.51 Total impact

• Article: Down-regulation of OPA1 alters mouse mitochondrial morphology, PTP function, and cardiac adaptation to pressure overload.

  Jerome Piquereau, Fanny Caffin, Marta Novotova, Alexandre Prola, Anne Garnier, Philippe Mateo, Dominique Fortin, Le Ha Huynh, Valérie Nicolas, Marcel V Alavi, Catherine Brenner, Renée Ventura-Clapier, Vladimir Veksler, Frédéric Joubert
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  ABSTRACT: The optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) protein is an essential protein involved in the fusion of the mitochondrial inner membrane. Despite its high level of expression, the role of OPA1 in the heart is largely unknown. We investigated the role of this protein in Opa1(+/-) mice, having a 50% reduction in OPA1 protein expression in cardiac tissue. In mutant mice, cardiac function assessed by echocardiography was not significantly different from that of the Opa1(+/+). Electron and fluorescence microscopy revealed altered morphology of the Opa1(+/-) mice mitochondrial network; unexpectedly, mitochondria were larger with the presence of clusters of fused mitochondria and altered cristae. In permeabilized mutant ventricular fibres, mitochondrial functional properties were maintained, but direct energy channelling between mitochondria and myofilaments was weakened. Importantly, the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) opening in isolated permeabilized cardiomyocytes and in isolated mitochondria was significantly less sensitive to mitochondrial calcium accumulation. Finally, 6 weeks after transversal aortic constriction, Opa1(+/-) hearts demonstrated hypertrophy almost two-fold higher (P< 0.01) than in wild-type mice with altered ejection fraction (decrease in 43 vs. 22% in Opa1(+/+) mice, P< 0.05). These results suggest that, in adult cardiomyocytes, OPA1 plays an important role in mitochondrial morphology and PTP functioning. These properties may be critical for cardiac function under conditions of chronic pressure overload.
  Cardiovascular research 03/2012; 94(3):408-17. · 5.80 Impact Factor
• Article: Catecholamine-induced cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction and mPTP opening: protective effect of curcumin.

  Malika Izem-Meziane, Bahia Djerdjouri, Stephanie Rimbaud, Fanny Caffin, Dominique Fortin, Anne Garnier, Vladimir Veksler, Frederic Joubert, Renee Ventura-Clapier
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  ABSTRACT: The present study was designed to characterize the mitochondrial dysfunction induced by catecholamines and to investigate whether curcumin, a natural antioxidant, induces cardioprotective effects against catecholamine-induced cardiotoxicity by preserving mitochondrial function. Because mitochondria play a central role in ischemia and oxidative stress, we hypothesized that mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in catecholamine toxicity and in the potential protective effects of curcumin. Male Wistar rats received subcutaneous injection of 150 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1) isoprenaline (ISO) for two consecutive days with or without pretreatment with 60 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1) curcumin. Twenty four hours after, cardiac tissues were examined for apoptosis and oxidative stress. Expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and function were measured by real-time RT-PCR. Isolated mitochondria and permeabilized cardiac fibers were used for swelling and mitochondrial function experiments, respectively. Mitochondrial morphology and permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening were assessed by fluorescence in isolated cardiomyocytes. ISO treatment induced cell damage, oxidative stress, and apoptosis that were prevented by curcumin. Moreover, mitochondria seem to play an important role in these effects as respiration and mitochondrial swelling were increased following ISO treatment, these effects being again prevented by curcumin. Importantly, curcumin completely prevented the ISO-induced increase in mPTP calcium susceptibility in isolated cardiomyocytes without affecting mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial network dynamic. The results unravel the importance of mitochondrial dysfunction in isoprenaline-induced cardiotoxicity as well as a new cardioprotective effect of curcumin through prevention of mitochondrial damage and mPTP opening.
  AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology 11/2011; 302(3):H665-74. · 3.71 Impact Factor