Loss of the adipokine lipocalin-2 impairs satellite cell activation and skeletal muscle regeneration

Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is an adipokine previously described for its contribution to numerous processes including innate immunity and energy metabolism. LCN2 has also been demonstrated to be an extracellular matrix (ECM) regulator through its association with the ECM protease matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). With the global rise in obesity and the associated co-morbidities related to increasing adiposity, it is imperative to gain an understanding of the cross-talk between adipose tissue and other metabolic tissues, such as skeletal muscle. Given the function of LCN2 on the ECM in other tissues, and the importance of matrix remodeling in skeletal muscle regeneration, we examined the localization and expression of LCN2 in uninjured and regenerating wild-type skeletal muscle and assessed the impact of LCN2 deletion (LCN2-/-) on skeletal muscle repair following cardiotoxin injury. Though LCN2 was minimally present in uninjured skeletal muscle, its expression was increased significantly at 1 and 2 days post-inju...