Mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle of patients with protracted critical illness and ICU-acquired weakness

• Published in: Critical care (London, England) England), 2015-12, Vol.19 (446), p.448-448, Article 448
• Main Authors: Jiroutková, Kateřina, Krajčová, Adéla, Ziak, Jakub, Fric, Michal, Waldauf, Petr, Džupa, Valér, Gojda, Jan, Němcova-Fürstová, Vlasta, Kovář, Jan, Elkalaf, Moustafa, Trnka, Jan, Duška, František
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism; Adenosine Triphosphate - physiology; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Care and treatment; Cohort Studies; Critical care; Critical Illness; Cytochrome b; Dehydrogenases; Energy Metabolism - physiology; Enzymes; Exercise; Fatty acids; Female; Glycerol; Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase - metabolism; Humans; Illnesses; Inflammation; Influence; Insulin resistance; Intensive Care Units; Male; Metabolism; Metabolites; Middle Aged; Mitochondria; Mitochondria - metabolism; Mitochondria - pathology; Muscle Weakness - etiology; Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism; Muscles; Musculoskeletal system; Organelle Biogenesis; Oxidative Stress - physiology; Pilot Projects; Quadriceps Muscle - metabolism; Risk factors; Rodents; Sepsis; Trauma
• ISSN: 1364-8535; 1466-609X; 1364-8535; 1366-609X
• DOI: 10.1186/s13054-015-1160-x

Mitochondrial damage occurs in the acute phase of critical illness, followed by activation of mitochondrial biogenesis in survivors. It has been hypothesized that bioenergetics failure of skeletal muscle may contribute to the development of ICU-acquired weakness. The aim of the present study was to determine whether mitochondrial dysfunction persists until protracted phase of critical illness. In this single-centre controlled-cohort ex vivo proof-of-concept pilot study, we obtained vastus lateralis biopsies from ventilated patients with ICU-acquired weakness (n = 8) and from age and sex-matched metabolically healthy controls (n = 8). Mitochondrial functional indices were measured in cytosolic context by high-resolution respirometry in tissue homogenates, activities of respiratory complexes by spectrophotometry and individual functional capacities were correlated with concentrations of electron transport chain key subunits from respiratory complexes II, III, IV and V measured by western blot. The ability of aerobic ATP synthesis (OXPHOS) was reduced to ~54% in ICU patients (p