Which is a metabolic cause of muscle breakdown leading to rhabdomyolysis?

Which is a metabolic cause of muscle breakdown leading to rhabdomyolysis?

• A. Direct muscle damage
• B. ATP depletion during seizures
• C. Crush injury
• D. Ischemia

Answer: (B)

When muscle energy production falters, the cells can’t maintain their ion balances, leading to injury and breakdown. During a seizure, the muscles undergo sustained, intense contractions that rapidly exhaust ATP stores. With ATP depleted, the Na+/K+ ATPase and Ca2+ pumps fail to keep ions out of the cells, Ca2+ accumulates inside, and the cell’s calcio-regulated enzymes become overactive. This activates proteases, lipases, and phospholipases that damage the muscle cell membranes and internal structures, causing myocyte necrosis and leakage of intracellular contents into the blood—rhabdomyolysis. Other options describe injuries from outside forces or reduced blood supply. Direct muscle damage and crush injury involve physical disruption of tissue, while ischemia deprives tissue of oxygen, leading to energy failure as well, but the specific metabolic trigger in this scenario is ATP depletion from continuous seizure activity.

When muscle energy production falters, the cells can’t maintain their ion balances, leading to injury and breakdown. During a seizure, the muscles undergo sustained, intense contractions that rapidly exhaust ATP stores. With ATP depleted, the Na+/K+ ATPase and Ca2+ pumps fail to keep ions out of the cells, Ca2+ accumulates inside, and the cell’s calcio-regulated enzymes become overactive. This activates proteases, lipases, and phospholipases that damage the muscle cell membranes and internal structures, causing myocyte necrosis and leakage of intracellular contents into the blood—rhabdomyolysis.

Other options describe injuries from outside forces or reduced blood supply. Direct muscle damage and crush injury involve physical disruption of tissue, while ischemia deprives tissue of oxygen, leading to energy failure as well, but the specific metabolic trigger in this scenario is ATP depletion from continuous seizure activity.