The Preservation of Muscle Mitochondrial Machinery During Hypometabolic Hibernation in Scandinavian Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #hibernation
- #mitochondria
- #muscle physiology
- Brown bears (Ursus arctos) preserve muscle mass and function during hibernation despite fasting and inactivity.
- Mitochondrial respiratory capacity decreases during hibernation due to reduced mitochondrial density, not dysfunction.
- SDH activity remains stable despite reduced SDH subunit expression, indicating post-translational regulation.
- Proteomic analyses show targeted adjustments to maintain energy efficiency and support fat/carbohydrate oxidation at low temperatures.
- Selective downregulation of mitochondrial dynamic proteins may protect against muscle degradation.
- Findings offer insights for mitigating muscle wasting in sedentary or immobilized humans.