Innate immune receptors in skeletal muscle metabolism

Recent decades have seen increasing evidence for a role for both innate and adaptive immunity in response to changes in and in the modulation of metabolic status. This new field of immunometabolism builds on evidence for activation of immune-derived signals in metabolically relevant tissues such as adipose tissue, liver, hypothalamus and skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle is the primary site of dietary glucose disposal and therefore a key player in the development of diabetes, but studies on the role of inflammation in modulating skeletal muscle metabolism and its possible impact on whole body insulin sensitivity are scarce. This review describes the baseline mRNA expression of innate immune receptors (Toll- and NOD-like receptors) in human skeletal muscle and summarizes studies on putative role of these receptors in skeletal muscle in the context of diabetes, obesity and whole body metabolism.