Myoglobin knockout mice experience less damage and more immune infiltration in muscle pressure injury.

In the absence of myoglobin, pressure-injured tissues displayed less oxidative and nitrosative damage. Interestingly, they also showed higher immune infiltration and decreased extracellular traps, meaning that increased immune infiltration co-occurred with decreased oxidative stress. We conclude that extracellular myoglobin contributes to oxidative stress and immune dysfunction in muscle pressure ulcers, and its removal causes less tissue death. This has important implications for the use of iron chelation therapy in the treatment of muscle pressure ulcers.