1. Low aerobic capacity in McArdle disease: A role for mitochondrial network impairment?
- Author
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M. Villarreal-Salazar, A. Santalla, A. Real-Martínez, G. Nogales-Gadea, P.L. Valenzuela, C. Fiuza-Luces, A.L. Andreu, J.C. Rodríguez-Aguilera, M.A. Martín, J. Arenas, J. Vissing, A. Lucia, T.O. Krag, and T. Pinós
- Subjects
McArdle disease ,Skeletal muscle ,Glycogen ,Aerobic capacity ,Cytoskeleton and mitochondrial network ,Internal medicine ,RC31-1245 - Abstract
Background: McArdle disease is caused by myophosphorylase deficiency and results in complete inability for muscle glycogen breakdown. A hallmark of this condition is muscle oxidation impairment (e.g., low peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak)), a phenomenon traditionally attributed to reduced glycolytic flux and Krebs cycle anaplerosis. Here we hypothesized an additional role for muscle mitochondrial network alterations associated with massive intracellular glycogen accumulation. Methods: We analyzed in depth mitochondrial characteristics-content, biogenesis, ultrastructure-and network integrity in skeletal-muscle from McArdle/control mice and two patients. We also determined VO2peak in patients (both sexes, N = 145) and healthy controls (N = 133). Results: Besides corroborating very poor VO2peak values in patients and impairment in muscle glycolytic flux, we found that, in McArdle muscle: (a) damaged fibers are likely those with a higher mitochondrial and glycogen content, which show major disruption of the three main cytoskeleton components-actin microfilaments, microtubules and intermediate filaments-thereby contributing to mitochondrial network disruption in skeletal muscle fibers; (b) there was an altered subcellular localization of mitochondrial fission/fusion proteins and of the sarcoplasmic reticulum protein calsequestrin-with subsequent alteration in mitochondrial dynamics/function; impairment in mitochondrial content/biogenesis; and (c) several OXPHOS-related complex proteins/activities were also affected. Conclusions: In McArdle disease, severe muscle oxidative capacity impairment could also be explained by a disruption of the mitochondrial network, at least in those fibers with a higher capacity for glycogen accumulation. Our findings might pave the way for future research addressing the potential involvement of mitochondrial network alterations in the pathophysiology of other glycogenoses.
- Published
- 2022
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