Acute renal failure potentiates brain energy dysfunction elicited by methylmalonic acid

The influence of acute renal failure induced by gentamicin administration on the effects of MMA on mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes, citrate synthase, succinate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase activities in cerebral cortex and kidney of young rats were investigated. Animals received one intraperitoneal injection of saline or gentamicin (70 mg/kg). One hour after, the animals received three consecutive subcutaneous injections of MMA (1.67 μmol/g) or saline (11 h interval between injections) and 60 min after the last injection the animals were killed. Acute MMA administration decreased creatine kinase activity in both tissues and increased complexes I–III activity in cerebral cortex. Creatine kinase activity was also inhibited by gentamicin administration. Simultaneous administration of MMA and gentamicin increased the activities of citrate synthase in cerebral cortex and kidney and complexes II–III in cerebral cortex. The other enzyme activities in cerebral cortex and kidney of animals receiving MMA plus gentamicin did not significantly differ from those observed in animals receiving only MMA. Our present data is line with the hypothesis that MMA acts as a toxin in brain and kidney of rats and suggest that renal injury potentiates the toxicity of MMA on the Krebs cycle and respiratory chain in brain and peripheral tissues.

► Methylmalonic acid (MMA) accumulates in methylmalonic acidemia.
► Affected patients present brain damage and renal insufficiency whose pathogenesis is poorly known.
► MMA inhibits creatine kinase activity and increased electron transfer chain complexes I–III in brain and kidney.
► MMA associated with renal insufficient lead to a synergistic increase of complexes II–III and citrate synthase activity.
► Renal insufficiency potentiates MMA neurotoxicity.