Partial hexokinase II knockout results in acute ischemia-reperfusion damage in skeletal muscle of male, but not female, mice

Cellular studies have demonstrated a protective role of mitochondrial hexokinase against oxidative insults. It is unknown whether HK protective effects translate to the in vivo condition. In the present study, we hypothesize that HK affects acute ischemia–reperfusion injury in skeletal muscle of the intact animal. Male and female heterozygote knockout HKII (HK(+/-)), heterozygote overexpressed HKII (HK(tg)), and their wild-type (WT) C57Bl/6 littermates mice were examined. In anesthetized animals, the left gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscle was connected to a force transducer and continuously stimulated (1-Hz twitches) during 60 min ischemia and 90 min reperfusion. Cell survival (%LDH) was defined by the amount of cytosolic lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity still present in the reperfused GM relative to the contralateral (non-ischemic) GM. Mitochondrial HK activity was 72.6 ± 7.5, 15.7 ± 1.7, and 8.8 ± 0.9 mU/mg protein in male mice, and 72.7 ± 3.7, 11.2 ± 1.4, and 5.9 ± 1.1 mU/mg in female mice for HK(tg), WT, and HK(+/-), respectively. Tetanic force recovery amounted to 33 ± 7% for male and 17 ± 4% for female mice and was similar for HK(tg), WT, and HK(+/-). However, cell survival was decreased (p = 0.014) in male HK(+/-) (82 ± 4%LDH) as compared with WT (98 ± 5%LDH) and HK(tg) (97 ± 4%LDH). No effects of HKII on cell survival was observed in female mice (92 ± 2% LDH). In conclusion, in this mild model of acute in vivo ischemia–reperfusion injury, a partial knockout of HKII was associated with increased cell death in male mice. The data suggest for the first time that HKII mediates skeletal muscle ischemia–reperfusion injury in the intact male animal

The use of knowledge translation in developing evidence for public health policy and practice: a staged, multi-methods study in England, 2007-2009

We previously demonstrated that hexokinase (HK) II plays a key role in the pathophysiology of ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury of the heart (Smeele et al. Circ Res 108: 1165-1169, 2011; Wu et al. Circ Res 108: 60-69, 2011). However, it is unknown whether HKII also plays a key role in I/R injury and healing thereafter in skeletal muscle, and if so, through which mechanisms. We used male wild-type (WT) and heterozygous HKII knockout mice (HKII(+/-)) and performed in vivo unilateral skeletal muscle I/R, executed by 90 min hindlimb occlusion using orthodontic rubber bands followed by 1 h, 1 day, or 14 days reperfusion. The contralateral (CON) limb was used as internal control. No difference was observed in muscle glycogen turnover between genotypes at 1 h reperfusion. At 1 day reperfusion, the model resulted in 36% initial cell necrosis in WT gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscle that was doubled (76% cell necrosis) in the HKII(+/-) mice. I/R-induced apoptosis (29%) was similar between genotypes. HKII reduction eliminated I/R-induced mitochondrial Bax translocation and oxidative stress at 1 day reperfusion. At 14 days recovery, the tetanic force deficit of the reperfused GM (relative to control GM) was 35% for WT, which was doubled (70%) in HKII(+/-) mice, mirroring the initial damage observed for these muscles. I/R increased muscle fatigue resistance equally in GM of both genotypes. The number of regenerating fibers in WT muscle (17%) was also approximately doubled in HKII(+/-) I/R muscle (44%), thus again mirroring the increased cell death in HKII(+/-) mice at day 1 and suggesting that HKII does not significantly affect muscle regeneration capacity. Reduced HKII was also associated with doubling of I/R-induced fibrosis. In conclusion, reduced muscle HKII protein content results in impaired muscle functionality during recovery from I/R. The impaired recovery seems to be mainly a result of a greater susceptibility of HKII(+/-) mice to the initial I/R-induced necrosis (not apoptosis), and not a HKII-related deficiency in muscle regeneration