The effect of sepsis and reactive oxygen species on skeletal muscle interstitial oxygen pressure during contractions

Abstract

Objective

This study aims to examine the effect of sepsis on the dynamics of skeletal muscle partial oxygen pressure during muscle contractions as well as the effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger (ascorbic acid, Asc).

Methods

Twenty-seven male Sprague–Dawley rats (2–3 months old) were randomly assigned to three groups; sham, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), or CLP plus ascorbic acid treatment group (CLP + Asc). Electrical stimuli-induced muscle contractions and partial oxygen pressure measurements were performed at 3 h after CLP. The interstitial oxygen pressure (PO₂is) in the spinotrapezius muscle was measured by the phosphorescence quenching method.

Results

The PO₂is at rest was not different between the three groups. The PO₂is decreased from rest to contraction in all groups. Compared to the sham, the time to decrease PO₂is was significantly faster in CLP but not in CLP + Asc (p < .05). Compared to the sham, the PO₂is during muscle contractions was significantly lower in both CLP and CLP + Asc (p < .05, respectively).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that CLP-induced sepsis accelerated the decay of PO₂is at the onset of muscle contractions and maintained a low level of PO₂is during muscle contractions.