A NEW GENERATION OF SKULACHEV IONS POSSESSING APPARENT NEPHRO- AND NEUROPROTECTIVE PROPERTIES
A mitochondria-targeted chimeric molecule (a conjugate of a rhodamine derivative linked to a plastoquinone molecule, 10-(6'-plastoquinonyl) decylrhodamine 19, SkQR1) was explored under conditions of acute brain or kidney damage. The protective effect of this compound was demonstrated in the model of focal brain ischemia, rat kidney ischemia/reperfusion, myoglobinuria (rhabdomyolysis, or crush syndrome) and pyelonephritis. We found that a single ip injection of 1 μM SkQR1 diminishes the ischemic zone in the brain and lowers neurological deficit in ischemic animals. The analog of SkQR1 not containing plastoquinone (C12R19) did not demonstrate neuroprotective properties. The data show that SkQR1 possesses apparent nephro- and neuroprotective properties, which may be due to antioxidative ability of this Skulachev cation.