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Antibiotic-induced mitochondrial dysfunction : Exploring tissue-specific effects on HEI-OC1 cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Liu, Tianshi LU ; Chamkha, Imen LU ; Elmér, Eskil LU orcid ; Sjövall, Fredrik LU orcid and Ehinger, Johannes K. LU orcid (2025) In Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - General Subjects 1869(9).
Abstract

Antibiotics are crucial in treating infectious diseases, particularly in intensive care unit patients, but they can lead to side effects such as ototoxicity. A mechanism for this is antibiotics targeting mitochondrial components in eucaryotic cells, due to their resemblance of those in bacteria. Here we investigate how five classes of antibiotics (carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, glycopeptides, and oxazolidinones) affect mitochondrial respiratory function, ATP levels, mitochondrial membrane potential and levels of reactive oxygen species in an inner-ear derived epithelial cell line (HEI-OC1) and human primary blood cells (PBMCs) at clinically relevant concentrations. Mitochondrial respiration in intact HEI-OC1 cells was... (More)

Antibiotics are crucial in treating infectious diseases, particularly in intensive care unit patients, but they can lead to side effects such as ototoxicity. A mechanism for this is antibiotics targeting mitochondrial components in eucaryotic cells, due to their resemblance of those in bacteria. Here we investigate how five classes of antibiotics (carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, glycopeptides, and oxazolidinones) affect mitochondrial respiratory function, ATP levels, mitochondrial membrane potential and levels of reactive oxygen species in an inner-ear derived epithelial cell line (HEI-OC1) and human primary blood cells (PBMCs) at clinically relevant concentrations. Mitochondrial respiration in intact HEI-OC1 cells was suppressed in response to the majority of the tested antibiotics. This effect was lost when the HEI-OC1 cells were permeabilized and substrate supply controlled. Further in these cells, ROS levels were increased and ATP levels reduced. In contrast, no measure of mitochondrial function of PBMCs was affected by any antibiotics at the same concentration. We show that HEI-OC1 cells are sensitive to a broad range of antibiotics, and that the mechanism of toxicity to mitochondrial respiration is upstream of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, with downstream effects on mitochondrial respiration, ATP levels and ROS levels.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Antibiotics, ATP production, HEI-OC1 cells, Mitochondrial dysfunction, Ototoxicity, PBMCs, Reactive oxygen species
in
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - General Subjects
volume
1869
issue
9
article number
130832
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:40513684
  • scopus:105008219321
ISSN
0304-4165
DOI
10.1016/j.bbagen.2025.130832
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025
id
7c727bcf-88b7-4569-b948-ade03dbfd5b6
date added to LUP
2025-11-19 16:35:46
date last changed
2025-11-20 02:51:37
@article{7c727bcf-88b7-4569-b948-ade03dbfd5b6,
  abstract     = {{<p>Antibiotics are crucial in treating infectious diseases, particularly in intensive care unit patients, but they can lead to side effects such as ototoxicity. A mechanism for this is antibiotics targeting mitochondrial components in eucaryotic cells, due to their resemblance of those in bacteria. Here we investigate how five classes of antibiotics (carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, glycopeptides, and oxazolidinones) affect mitochondrial respiratory function, ATP levels, mitochondrial membrane potential and levels of reactive oxygen species in an inner-ear derived epithelial cell line (HEI-OC1) and human primary blood cells (PBMCs) at clinically relevant concentrations. Mitochondrial respiration in intact HEI-OC1 cells was suppressed in response to the majority of the tested antibiotics. This effect was lost when the HEI-OC1 cells were permeabilized and substrate supply controlled. Further in these cells, ROS levels were increased and ATP levels reduced. In contrast, no measure of mitochondrial function of PBMCs was affected by any antibiotics at the same concentration. We show that HEI-OC1 cells are sensitive to a broad range of antibiotics, and that the mechanism of toxicity to mitochondrial respiration is upstream of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, with downstream effects on mitochondrial respiration, ATP levels and ROS levels.</p>}},
  author       = {{Liu, Tianshi and Chamkha, Imen and Elmér, Eskil and Sjövall, Fredrik and Ehinger, Johannes K.}},
  issn         = {{0304-4165}},
  keywords     = {{Antibiotics; ATP production; HEI-OC1 cells; Mitochondrial dysfunction; Ototoxicity; PBMCs; Reactive oxygen species}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - General Subjects}},
  title        = {{Antibiotic-induced mitochondrial dysfunction : Exploring tissue-specific effects on HEI-OC1 cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2025.130832}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.bbagen.2025.130832}},
  volume       = {{1869}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}