Cutaneous mitochondrial respirometry: non-invasive monitoring of mitochondrial function

The recently developed technique for measuring cutaneous mitochondrial oxygen tension (mitoPO₂) by means of the Protoporphyrin IX—Triplet State Lifetime Technique (PpIX-TSLT) provides new opportunities for assessing mitochondrial function in vivo. The aims of this work were to study whether cutaneous mitochondrial measurements reflect mitochondrial status in other parts of the body and to demonstrate the feasibility of the technique for potential clinical use. The first part of this paper demonstrates a correlation between alterations in mitochondrial parameters in skin and other tissues during endotoxemia. Experiments were performed in rats in which mitochondrial dysfunction was induced by a lipopolysaccharide-induced sepsis (n = 5) and a time control group (n = 5). MitoPO₂ and mitochondrial oxygen consumption (mitoVO₂) were measured using PpIX-TSLT in skin, liver and buccal mucosa of the mouth. Both skin and buccal mucosa show a significant mitoPO₂-independent decrease (P < 0.05) in mitoVO₂ after LPS infusion (a decrease of 37 and 39 % respectively). In liver both mitoPO₂ and mitoVO₂ decreased significantly (33 and 27 % respectively). The second part of this paper describes the clinical concept of monitoring cutaneous mitochondrial respiration in man. A first prototype of a clinical PpIX-TSLT monitor is described and its usability is demonstrated on human skin. We expect that clinical implementation of this device will greatly contribute to our understanding of mitochondrial oxygenation and oxygen metabolism in perioperative medicine and in critical illness. Our ultimate goal is to develop a clinical monitor for mitochondrial function and the current results are an important step forward.