Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), a key enzyme in fatty acid mobilization in adipocytes, has been demonstrated also in skeletal muscle. To gain further insight into the role and importance of HSL in skeletal muscle, a transcriptome analysis of soleus muscle of HSL-null mice was performed. A total of 161 transcripts were found to be differentially expressed. Increased mRNA levels of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase, and phosphorylase kinase γ1A suggest a higher glycogen flux in soleus muscle of HSL-null mice. An observed increase in the utilization of glycogen stores supports this finding. Moreover, an increased amount of intramyocellular lipid droplets, observed by transmission electron microscopy, suggests decreased mobilization of lipid stores in HSL-null mice. To complement the transcriptome data, protein expression analysis was performed. Five spots were found to be differentially expressed: pyruvate dehydrogenase E1α, creatine kinase (CK), ankyrin-repeat domain 2, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and one protein yet to be identified. The increased protein level of CK indicates creatine phosphate degradation to be of increased importance in HSL-null mice.The results of this study suggest that in the absence of HSL, a metabolic switch from reliance on lipid to carbohydrate energy substrates takes place, supporting an important role of HSL in soleus muscle lipid metabolism.
