Mitochondrial permeability transition and swelling can occur reversibly without inducing cell death in intact human cells

Abstract

Severe disruption of mitochondrial function is generally considered to provide a powerful trigger for apoptosis in mammalian cells. We report here that intact cells may undergo the mitochondrial permeability transition and mitochondria swell in a fully reversible manner, without inducing cell death. Cultured human osteosarcoma cells (143B TK-) stained with JC-1, MitoTracker dyes, or calcein plus Co2+ were imaged by confocal microscopy to visualize changes of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ(m)), morphology, and permeability transition, respectively, during treatment with a protonophore, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). Cells rapidly exhibited mitochondrial permeability tr..