Abstract
Objectives: This study investigated the feasibility of using a phosphorescence oxygen analyser to measure cellular respiration (mitochondrial O2 consumption) in foreskin samples and their fibroblast-rich cultures.Methods: Foreskin specimens from normal infants were collected immediately after circumcision and processed for measuring cellular respiration and for culture. Cellular mitochondrial O2 consumption was determined as a function of time from the phosphorescence decay of the Pd (II) meso-tetra-(4-sulfonatophenyl)-tetrabenzoporphyrin. Results: In sealed vials containing a foreskin specimen and glucose, O2 concentration decreased linearly with time, confirming the zero-order kinetics of O2 consumption by cytochrome oxidase. Cyanide inhibited O2 consumption, confirming that the oxidation occurred mainly in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The rate of foreskin respiration (mean ± SD) was 0.074 ± 0.02 μM O2 min-1 mg-1 (n = 23). The corresponding rate for fibroblast-rich cultures was 9.84 ± 2.43 μM O2 min-1 per 107 cells (n = 15). Fibroblast respiration was significantly lower in a male infant with dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase gene mutations, but normalised with the addition of thiamine or carnitine. Conclusion: The foreskin and its fibroblast-rich culture are suitable for assessment of cellular respiration. However, the clinical utility of foreskin specimens to detect disorders of impaired cellular bioenergetics requires further investigation.
Publication details
- DOI
- 10.18295/2075-0528.1497
- Journal
- Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 13(3), 411-416
- Publisher
- Sultan Qaboos University
- Open access
- Gold open access
- License
- CC BY-ND 4.0
Cite this article
APA 7
Al-Jasmi, F., Pramathan, T., Sahari, A., Bahjat, Penefsky, H. S., & Souid, A. K. (2025). Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption by the Foreskin and its Fibroblast-rich Culture. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 13(3), 411-416. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.1497
MLA 9
Al-Jasmi, Fatma, et al. "Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption by the Foreskin and its Fibroblast-rich Culture." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 13, no. 3, 2025, pp. 411-416. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.1497.
Chicago (author–date)
Al-Jasmi, Fatma, Thachillath Pramathan, Adnan Sahari, Bahjat, Harvey S. Penefsky, and Abdul-Kader Souid. 2025. "Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption by the Foreskin and its Fibroblast-rich Culture." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal 13 (3): 411-416. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.1497.
Harvard
Al-Jasmi, F., Pramathan, T., Sahari, A., Bahjat, Penefsky, H. S. and Souid, A. K. (2025) 'Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption by the Foreskin and its Fibroblast-rich Culture', Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 13(3), pp. 411-416. doi:10.18295/2075-0528.1497.
Vancouver
Al-Jasmi F, Pramathan T, Sahari A, Bahjat, Penefsky HS, Souid AK. Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption by the Foreskin and its Fibroblast-rich Culture. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal. 2025;13(3):411-416. doi:10.18295/2075-0528.1497
IEEE
F. Al-Jasmi, T. Pramathan, A. Sahari, Bahjat, H. S. Penefsky, and A. K. Souid, "Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption by the Foreskin and its Fibroblast-rich Culture," Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 411-416, 2025, doi: 10.18295/2075-0528.1497.