Mitochondrial involvement in sarcopenia

Charles Affourtit*, Jane E. Carré*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

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Abstract

Sarcopenia lowers the quality-of-life for millions of people across the world, as accelerated loss of skeletal muscle mass and function contributes to both age- and disease-related frailty. Physical activity remains the only proven therapy for sarcopenia to date, but alternatives are much sought after to manage this progressive muscle disorder in individuals who are unable to exercise. Mitochondria have been widely implicated in the etiology of sarcopenia and are increasingly suggested as attractive therapeutic targets to help restore the perturbed balance between protein synthesis and breakdown that underpins skeletal muscle atrophy. Reviewing current literature, we note that mitochondrial bioenergetic changes in sarcopenia are generally interpreted as intrinsic dysfunction that renders muscle cells incapable of making sufficient ATP to fuel protein synthesis. Based on the reported mitochondrial effects of therapeutic interventions, however, we argue that the observed bioenergetic changes may instead reflect an adaptation to pathologically decreased energy expenditure in sarcopenic muscle. Discrimination between these mechanistic possibilities will be crucial for improving the management of sarcopenia.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere14107
JournalActa Physiologica
Volume240
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Feb 2024

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physiology

Keywords

  • cellular bioenergetics
  • sarcopenia
  • skeletal muscle mitochondria
  • Aging/physiology
  • Sarcopenia/etiology
  • Mitochondria/metabolism
  • Humans
  • Muscular Atrophy/metabolism
  • Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism

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