Reduced lactate transport in denervated rat skeletal muscle

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the neural regulation of contractile activity on lactate transport in skeletal muscle. Contractile activity of the rat soleus muscle was abolished by denervating the hindlimb muscles in one leg (3 days) while the sham-operated contralateral hindlimb muscles served as a control. Three days after surgery, lactate transport into the soleus muscle was measured in vitro, using incubated soleus muscle strips. Lactate uptake by the denervated soleus muscle was reduced compared with control (P < 0.05). The diffusive component of lactate transport was unaltered by denervation (P > 0.05). These results translated into a reduction in lactate carrier-mediated transport capacity (-68%) in the denervated soleus (P < 0.05). These studies indicate that loss of contractile activity results in a decrement of lactate transport, which is probably due to a reduction in the number of lactate carriers in the sarcolemma. Our results suggest that the inherent activity of the muscle is important in maintaining the lactate transport system.