Abstract
Curcumin administration attenuates muscle disuse atrophy, but its effectiveness against aging-induced, selective loss of mass or force (presarcopenia or asthenia/dynopenia), or combined loss (sarcopenia), remains controversial. A new systemic curcumin treatment was developed and tested in 18-month-old C57BL6J and C57BL10ScSn male mice. The effects on survival, liver toxicity, loss of muscle mass and force, and satellite cell responsivity and commitment were evaluated after 6-month treatment. Although only 24-month-old C57BL10ScSn mice displayed age-related muscle impairment, curcumin significantly increased survival of both strains (+20–35%), without signs of liver toxicity. Treatment prevented sarcopenia in soleus and presarcopenia in EDL of C57BL10ScSn mice, whereas it did not affect healthy-aged muscles of C57BL6J. Curcumin-treated old C57BL10ScSn soleus preserved type-1 myofiber size and increased type-2A one, whereas EDL maintained adult values of total myofiber number and fiber-type composition. Mechanistically, curcumin only partially prevented the age-related changes in protein level and subcellular distribution of major costamere components and regulators. Conversely, it affected satellite cells, by maintaining adult levels of myofiber maturation in old regenerating soleus and increasing percentage of isolated, MyoD-positive satellite cells from old hindlimb muscles. Therefore, curcumin treatment successfully prevents presarcopenia and sarcopenia development by improving satellite cell commitment and recruitment.
Highlights
Curcumin, the bioactive polyphenolic extract of turmeric, acts differently among tissues on signal transduction and gene expression [1], and exerts beneficial or detrimental effects depending on dosage [2]
This study shows that chronic curcumin systemic administration has general and muscle-specific beneficial effects against aging, without displaying apparent toxicity
Aging variably affected soleus and Extensor Digitorum Longus (EDL) muscles of two closely related C57BL strains, which were housed in the same animal facility
Summary
The bioactive polyphenolic extract of turmeric, acts differently among tissues on signal transduction and gene expression (pleiotropism) [1], and exerts beneficial or detrimental effects depending on dosage (hormesis) [2]. Curcumin exerts relevant anti-aging effects by increasing mean lifespan [8]. Ageassociated muscle wasting is a major problem in elderly people [9]. The decline in performance and fitness leads to increased risk of falls and progressive loss of functional independence in daily activities. The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People defined sarcopenia by the presence of low appendicular lean mass/height and altered muscle strength, and presarcopenia by the presence of decreased muscle mass without impact on muscle force development and contraction [10].
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