Nrf2 deficiency does not affect denervation‐induced alterations in mitochondrial fission and fusion proteins in skeletal muscle

Oxidative stress‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with age‐related and disuse‐induced skeletal muscle atrophy. However, the role of nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) during muscle fiber atrophy remains to be elucidated. In this study, we examined whether deficiency of Nrf2, a master regulator of antioxidant transcription, promotes denervation‐induced mitochondrial fragmentation and muscle atrophy. We found that the expression of Nrf2 and its target antioxidant genes was upregulated at 2 weeks after denervation in wild‐type (WT) mice. The response of these antioxidant genes was attenuated in Nrf2 knockout (KO) mice. Nrf2 KO mice exhibited elevated levels of 4‐hydroxynonenal in the skeletal muscle, whereas the protein levels of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation complex IV was declined in the denervated muscle of these mice. Increased in mitochondrial fission regulatory proteins and decreased fusion proteins in response to denervation were observed in both WT and KO mice; however, no difference was observed between the two groups. These findings suggest that Nrf2 deficiency aggravates denervation‐induced oxidative stress, but does not affect the alterations in mitochondrial morphology proteins and the loss of skeletal muscle mass.