Mitochondrial Ferritin in the Substantia Nigra in Restless Legs Syndrome

• DOI: 10.1097/nen.0b013e3181bdc44f
• Publication Date: 2009-10-22T07:26:50Z
• Authors: Amanda M. Snyder; XinSheng Wang; Stephanie M. Patton; Paolo Arosio; Sonia Levi; Christopher J. Ea...; Richard P. Allen; James R. Connor
• Keywords: Putamen; Immunostaining; Neuromelanin

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder that thought to involve decreased iron availability in the brain. Iron required for oxidative metabolism and plays critical role redox reactions mitochondria. The recent discovery of mitochondrial ferritin (FtMt) provided opportunity identify potential correlation between function RLS. Human substantia nigra (SN) putamen autopsy samples from 8 RLS cases controls were analyzed. Mitochondrial levels SN tissue homogenate assessed by immunoblots had more FtMt than control (p < 0.01), whereas there no significant differences samples. By immunohistochemistry, neuromelanin-containing neurons predominant cell type expressing FtMt. Staining was consistently greater controls. Cytochrome c oxidase staining, which reflects numbers mitochondria, showed similar staining pattern FtMt, less immunostaining cytosolic H-ferritin. These results suggest increased mitochondria might contribute insufficient neurons; they are consistent with hypothesis energy insufficiency these may be involved pathogenesis