Iron injections in mice increase skeletal muscle iron content, induce oxidative stress and reduce exercise performance
- 14 May 2009
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Experimental Physiology
- Vol. 94 (6), 720-730
- https://doi.org/10.1113/expphysiol.2008.046045
Abstract
Iron accelerates the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Excessive levels of ROS are thought to accelerate skeletal muscle fatigue and contribute to the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function with age. Patients with an iron overload disease frequently report symptoms of weakness and fatigue, which is attributed to reduced cardiac function. The contribution of skeletal muscle to these symptoms is unknown. Using a mouse model of iron overload, we determined the extent of iron accumulation in skeletal muscle and the concentrations of the iron storage protein ferritin. The level of oxidative stress, changes in antioxidant enzymes and exercise performance were also assessed. Compared with control mice, the iron overloaded mice had elevated levels of iron in the tibialis anterior muscle and a fourfold increase in ferritin light chain. The oxidative stress product malondialdehyde was increased in the iron group compared with the control group, as was the antioxidant enzyme activity of glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase. The iron group performed less work on an endurance test and produced less force in a strength test. Body weight and skeletal muscle weight were lower in the iron group following the intervention. Iron loading reduced the weight of the fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus muscle more than the slow-twitch soleus muscle. In summary, iron accumulation in skeletal muscle may play a significant role in the reduced exercise capacity seen in iron overload disorders and in ageing, and may play an underlying role in skeletal muscle atrophy.Keywords
This publication has 59 references indexed in Scilit:
- Increased iron content and RNA oxidative damage in skeletal muscle with aging and disuse atrophyExperimental Gerontology, 2008
- Intracellular Iron Transport and Storage: From Molecular Mechanisms to Health ImplicationsAntioxidants and Redox Signaling, 2008
- Hydroxyl radical and glutathione interactions alter calcium sensitivity and maximum force of the contractile apparatus in rat skeletal muscle fibresThe Journal of Physiology, 2008
- Enhanced muscle fatigue occurs in male but not female ASIC3−/− miceAmerican Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 2008
- Trends in oxidative aging theoriesFree Radical Biology & Medicine, 2007
- Effects of iron loading on muscle: genome-wide mRNA expression profiling in the mouseBMC Genomics, 2007
- N‐acetylcysteine attenuates the decline in muscle Na+,K+‐pump activity and delays fatigue during prolonged exercise in humansThe Journal of Physiology, 2006
- Oxidative stress and inflammation in iron‐overloaded patients with β‐thalassaemia or sickle cell diseaseBritish Journal of Haematology, 2006
- Left Ventricular Systolic Function During Stress Echocardiography Exercise in Subjects With Asymptomatic Hereditary HemochromatosisThe American Journal of Cardiology, 2006
- Role of H and L Subunits in Mouse FerritinPublished by Elsevier BV ,1996