The effects of knee injury on skeletal muscle function, Na , K -ATPase content, and isoform abundance

Abstract

While training upregulates skeletal muscle Na+, K+-ATPase (NKA), the effects of knee injury and associated disuse on muscle NKA remain unknown. This was therefore investigated in six healthy young adults with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, (KI; four females, two males; age 25.0 ± 4.9 years; injury duration 15 ± 17 weeks; mean ± SD) and seven age- and BMI-matched asymptomatic controls (CON; five females, two males). Each participant underwent a vastus lateralis muscle biopsy, on both legs in KI and one leg in CON. Muscle was analyzed for muscle fiber type and cross-sectional area (CSA), NKA content ([3H]ouabain binding), and α1–3 and β1–2 isoform abundance. Participants also completed phy..