Abstract
Schisandrae chinensis Fructus has a long history of medicinal use as a tonic, a sedative, and an antitussive drug. In this study, we investigated the beneficial effects of Schisandrae chinensis Fructus ethanol extract (SFe) on metabolism in an aged mouse model. Sixteen-month-old C57BL/6J mice were fed with a diet supplemented with SFe for 4 months. Insulin sensitivity was lower at 20 months of age than at 16 months of age; however, the decrease in insulin sensitivity was less in SFe-fed mice. SFe supplementation also appeared to improve glucose tolerance. Body weight gain was lower in SFe-fed mice than in mice fed the control diet. Body fat mass was lower and the lean mass was higher in SFe-fed mice. In addition, the grip strength was enhanced in SFe-fed mice. Histological analysis of the tibialis anterior muscle showed that the size of myofiber and slow-twitch red muscle was increased by SFe supplementation. The expression of proteins related to muscle protein synthesis such as phospho-Erk1 and phospho-S6K1 was increased by SFe supplementation. The mRNA expression of genes related to myogenesis and their encoded proteins such as MyoD, Myf5, MRF4, myogenin, and myosin heavy chain, was increased, whereas that of genes related to muscle degradation, such as atrogin-1, MuRF-1, and myostatin, were decreased relative to control mice. These results suggest that SFe supplementation might have beneficial effects for the improvement of insulin sensitivity and inhibition of muscle loss that occur with aging.
Highlights
IntroductionErefore, aging is accompanied by declines in physical and cognitive functions; aging is the main risk factors for chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative conditions, and cancer [3]
Aging is defined as decline in the function of organisms over time and is likely caused by spontaneous loss of intracellular and intercellular functions [1, 2]. erefore, aging is accompanied by declines in physical and cognitive functions; aging is the main risk factors for chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative conditions, and cancer [3].Age-induced muscle loss is the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, which results in a decreased quality of life [4]
Since we observed that muscle strength and myofiber size were increased by dietary supplementation of Schisandrae chinensis Fructus ethanol extract (SFe) in 20-month-old mice, we investigated whether SFe supplementation increases muscle protein synthesis in Tibialis Anterior (TA) muscle
Summary
Erefore, aging is accompanied by declines in physical and cognitive functions; aging is the main risk factors for chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative conditions, and cancer [3]. Age-induced muscle loss is the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, which results in a decreased quality of life [4]. The exact mechanism is not known, many factors are responsible for the decreased muscle mass and strength in the elderly, such as increased insulin resistance, inflammation, hormonal alterations, perturbations in muscle metabolism, and decreased muscle proliferation [5]. Insulin resistance is known to lead to a reduction in muscle synthesis in elderly individuals. Hyperglycemia is a risk factor for age-induced reduction of muscle mass and function [6]. It was shown that increased muscle mass was related to improved insulin sensitivity [7]
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