Lysosomal changes in mouse skeletal muscle during the repair of exercise injuries

Lysosomal changes of mouse skeletal muscle during the repair of exercise injuries were studied with biochemical, histochemical, and electron microscopic methods. Treadmill running for 4 hours and 9 hours increased the activities of cathepsin C and beta-glucuronidase, but not that of beta-glycerophosphatase in mouse quadriceps femoris muscle. The highest activities occurred 3 days after exertion and were higher after the longer duration of exertion. Similar changes that were highly correlated with the activities of lysosomal enzymes occurred in the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and in the concentration of DNA. The activities of lysosomal enzymes correlated significantly with the severity of histopathologic injuries. Histochemical stainings of beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase and beta-glucuronidase showed a strong increase in the staining intensity 3 and 5 days after exertion, both in inflammatory phagocytes and in surviving muscle fibers in the injured area, and staining intensities increased in parallel with the severity of injuries. Electron microscopy showed an increased number of autophagic vacuoles, lysosome-like bodies, and Golgi complexes in the fibers adjacent to necrotic foci, coinciding with the highest histochemical staining pattern. Lysosomal changes in surviving muscle fibers in close proximity to injured muscle fibers could, by autophagic degradation, provide structural elements for the regeneration of injured muscle fibers.