Nikolaos Psychogios1, Harold M Swartz2,
Hazel Szeto3, Ronald G. Tompkins, Nadeem Khan2, Aria A.
Tzika1
1NMR Surgical Laboratory, Department
of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital & Shriners Burn Institute,
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; 2EPR Center for
Viable Systems, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Dartmouth Medical School,
Hanover, NH, United States; 3Department of Pharmacology, Joan
& Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Joan &
Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, United
States
Using in vivo electron paramagnetic spectroscopy (EPR), we evaluated in a Drosophila melanogaster fly trauma model the effects of a novel (Szeto-Schiller) SS-31 peptide that targets mammalian mitochondria. From the decay kinetics of nitroxide we measured the mitochondrial redox status of the flies, which increased in injured vs. control aged flies and was indicative of mitochondrial uncoupling. Injection of SS-31 in injured flies normalized the decay rate and recovered the redox status as compared to controls. Our approach in the model host Drosophila melanogaster suggests biomarkers for investigation of biomedical paradigms that may contribute to the development of novel therapeutics.