Oxygen Delivery Does Not Limit Mitochondrial Function in Skeletal Muscle of Healthy and Diabetic Rats in Vivo

Bart Wessels¹, Klaas Nicolaij¹, Jeanine J. Prompers¹

In vivo muscle oxidative capacity is determined both by intrinsic mitochondrial capacity and oxygen delivery. To determine if PCr recovery in rat muscle is limited by oxygen delivery we used 31P MRS under normoxic and hyperoxic conditions in fa/+ and fa/fa ZDF rats. BOLD imaging in the skeletal muscle was successfully implemented but no differences in muscle oxygenation were found between groups during and after stimulation. PCr recovery rates were similar in either group during normoxic and hyperoxic conditions, suggesting that PCr recovery was not limited by oxygen delivery and indicating an impaired intrinsic mitochondrial capacity in diabetic rats.