Mitophagy in the Skeletal Muscle Is Suppressed in Spleen Qi Deficiency

Abstract

Objective: Mitochondrial impairment in the skeletal muscle contributes to useless of limbs in spleen qi deficiency ; however the genesis of such impairment is not clear. Herein, PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)-Parkin pathway and mitophagy were studied to explore the machinery of mitochondrial impairment. Methods: 16 male SD rats were randomly divided in the control group and spleen qi deficiency group (model group); transmission electron microscope was used to observe mitochondrial morphology; mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation was assessed by testing mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and levels of ATP and ROS; western blot was used to analyze expressions of PINK1, Parkin, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3-II) and p62. Results: Compared with those in the control group, mitochondria became small, less and scattered , MMP and the ATP level were reduced, the ROS level was elevated, PINK1 expression was decreased, p62 expression was increased, but Parkin and LC3-II expressions were not altered, in the model group. Conclusions: Suppression of mitophagy might be related to the mitochondrial damage in the skeletal muscle when spleen qi deficiency develops.