Metabolic physiology and skeletal muscle phenotypes in male and female myoglobin knockout mice.

Abstract

Myoglobin (Mb) is a regulator of O2 bioavailability in type I muscle and heart, at least when tissue O2 levels drop. Mb also plays a role in regulating cellular NO pools. Robust binding of long-chain fatty acids and long-chain acylcarnitines to Mb, and enhanced glucose metabolism in hearts of Mb knockout (KO) mice, suggests additional roles in muscle intermediary metabolism and fuel selection. To evaluate this hypothesis, we measured energy expenditure (EE), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), body weight gain and adiposity, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in Mb knockout (Mb-/-) and wildtype (WT) mice challenged with a high fat diet (HFD, 45% of calories). In males (n=10/genotype) and females (n=9/genotype) aged 5-6, 11-12, and 17-18 wk, there were no genotype effects on RER, EE, or food intake. RER and EE during cold (10˚C, 72 h), and glucose and insulin tolerance, were not different compared to within-sex WT controls. At ~18 and ~19 wk of age, female Mb-/- adiposity was ~42-48% higher vs. WT females (p=0.1). Transcriptomics analyses (whole gastrocnemius, soleus) revealed few consistent changes, with the notable exception of a 20% drop in soleus transferrin receptor (Tfrc) mRNA. Capillarity indices were significantly increased in Mb-/-, specifically in Mb-rich soleus and deep gastrocnemius. The results indicate that Mb loss does not have a major impact on whole-body glucose homeostasis, EE, RER, or response to a cold challenge in mice. However, the greater adiposity in female Mb-/- mice indicates a sex-specific effect of Mb KO on fat storage and feed efficiency.