Turnover rate of coenzyme A in mouse brain and liver

PLoS One. 2021 May 21;16(5):e0251981. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251981. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Coenzyme A (CoA) is a fundamental cofactor involved in a number of important biochemical reactions in the cell. Altered CoA metabolism results in severe conditions such as pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) in which a reduction of the activity of pantothenate kinase isoform 2 (PANK2) present in CoA biosynthesis in the brain consequently lowers the level of CoA in this organ. In order to develop a new drug aimed at restoring the sufficient amount of CoA in the brain of PKAN patients, we looked at its turnover. We report here the results of two experiments that enabled us to measure the half-life of pantothenic acid, free CoA (CoASH) and acetylCoA in the brains and livers of male and female C57BL/6N mice, and total CoA in the brains of male mice. We administered (intrastriatally or orally) a single dose of a [13C3-15N-18O]-labelled coenzyme A precursor (fosmetpantotenate or [13C3-15N]-pantothenic acid) to the mice and measured, by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, unlabelled- and labelled-coenzyme A species appearance and disappearance over time. We found that the turnover of all metabolites was faster in the liver than in the brain in both genders with no evident gender difference observed. In the oral study, the CoASH half-life was: 69 ± 5 h (male) and 82 ± 6 h (female) in the liver; 136 ± 14 h (male) and 144 ± 12 h (female) in the brain. AcetylCoA half-life was 74 ± 9 h (male) and 71 ± 7 h (female) in the liver; 117 ± 13 h (male) and 158 ± 23 (female) in the brain. These results were in accordance with the corresponding values obtained after intrastriatal infusion of labelled-fosmetpantotenate (CoASH 124 ± 13 h, acetylCoA 117 ± 11 and total CoA 144 ± 17 in male brain).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetyl Coenzyme A / metabolism
  • Acetyl Coenzyme A / pharmacokinetics*
  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Biotransformation
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Coenzyme A / metabolism
  • Coenzyme A / pharmacokinetics*
  • Female
  • Half-Life
  • Humans
  • Injections, Intraventricular
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Organ Specificity
  • Pantothenic Acid / analogs & derivatives
  • Pantothenic Acid / metabolism
  • Pantothenic Acid / pharmacokinetics*

Substances

  • Pantothenic Acid
  • Acetyl Coenzyme A
  • Coenzyme A
  • fosmetpantotenate

Grants and funding

This study was funded by Retrophin, Inc. IRBM was working under contract to Retrophin, Inc. Birra Peroni and QurAlis were not involved in this study. The funder provided support in the term of salaries for authors KL, KB and DE, but did not have any additional role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific role of the authors are articulated in the ‘authors contribution’ section.