Rationale: Closure of the ductus arteriosus (DA) is essential for the transition from fetal to neonatal patterns of circulation. Initial PO2-dependent vasoconstriction causes functional DA closure within minutes. Within days a fibrogenic, proliferative mechanism causes anatomical closure. Though modulated by endothelial-derived vasodilators and constrictors, O2-sensing is intrinsic to ductal smooth muscle cells (DASMC) and oxygen-induced DA constriction persists in the absence of endothelium, endothelin and cyclooxygenase mediators. O2 increases mitochondrial-derived H2O2 (mitoROS), which constricts DASMC by raising intracellular calcium and activating rho kinase. However, the mechanism by which oxygen changes mitochondrial function is unknown. Objective: Determine whether mitochondrial fission is crucial for O2-induced DA constriction and closure. Methods and Results: Using DA harvested from 30 term infants during correction of congenital heart disease, as well as DA from term rabbits, we demonstrate that mitochondrial fission is crucial for O2-induced constriction and closure. O2 rapidly (<5 minutes) causes mitochondrial fission by a cyclin-dependent kinase-mediated phosphorylation of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) at serine 616. Fission triggers a metabolic shift in the DASMC that activates pyruvate dehydrogenase and increases mitochondrial H2O2 production. Subsequently fission increases complex I activity. Mitochondrial-targeted catalase overexpression eliminates PO2-induced increases in mitoROS and cytosolic calcium. The small-molecule Drp1 inhibitor, Mdivi-1, and siDRP1 yield concordant results, inhibiting O2-induced constriction (without altering the response to phenylephrine or KCl) and preventing O2-induced increases in oxidative metabolism, cytosolic calcium and DASMC proliferation. Prolonged Drp1 inhibition reduces DA closure in a tissue culture model. Conclusions: Mitochondrial fission is an obligatory, early step in mammalian O2-sensing and offers a promising target for modulating DA patency.

Hepatocyte transplantation improves the survival of laboratory animals with experimentally induced acute liver failure and the physiological abnormalities associated with liver-based metabolic deficiencies. The role of hepatocyte transplantation in treating decompensated liver cirrhosis, however, has not been studied in depth. To address this issue, cirrhosis was induced using phenobarbital and carbon tetrachloride (CCL 4 ) and animals were studied only when evidence of liver failure did not improve when CCL 4 was held for 4 weeks. Animals received intrasplenic transplantation of syngeneic rat hepatocytes (G1); intraperitoneal transplantation of syngeneic rat hepatocytes (G2); intraperitoneal transplantation of a cellular homogenate of syngeneic rat hepatocytes (G3); intraperitoneal transplantation of syngeneic rat bone marrow cells (G4); or intrasplenic injection of Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM) (G5). After transplantation, body weight and serum albumin levels deteriorated over time in all control (G2-G5) animals but did not deteriorate in animals receiving intrasplenic hepatocyte transplantation (G1) (P F .01). Prothrombin time (PT), total bilirubin, serum ammonia, and hepatic encephalopathy score were also significantly improved toward normal in animals receiving intrasplenic hepatocyte transplantation (P F .01). More importantly, survival was prolonged after a single infusion of hepatocytes and a second infusion prolonged survival from 15 to 128 days (P F .01). Thus, hepatocyte transplantation can improve liver function and prolong the survival of rats with irreversible, decompensated cirrhosis and may be useful in the treatment of cirrhosis in humans. (HEPATOLOGY 2000;31: 851-857.)