Abstract
Sarcopenia is defined as aging-related loss of muscle mass and function. Telomere length in chromosomes shortens with age and is modulated by telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA). This study aimed to explore the impact of aging and sarcopenia on telomere length and TERRA expression, and changes following strengthening exercise and nutrition intervention (supplement of branched-chain amino acids, calcium and vitamin D3) for 12 weeks in the sarcopenic population. Older adults (≥65 years old) were divided into non-sarcopenic controls (n = 36) and sarcopenic individuals (n = 36) after measurement of grip strength and body composition. The relative telomere length of leukocytes in all research participants was evaluated using the T/S ratio (telomere/single copy gene), and relative TERRA expression of leukocytes was determined by reverse-transcription qPCR (RT-qPCR). Generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to analyze the influence of sarcopenia and intervention on the outcomes. There was no significant difference in telomere length between control subjects and participants with sarcopenia. TERRA expression was lower in sarcopenic participants compared to that in non-sarcopenic controls (5.18 ± 2.98 vs. 2.51 ± 1.89; p < 0.001). In the sarcopenic group, intervention significantly increased TERRA expression, but not telomere length. The GEE analysis demonstrated that TERRA expression was negatively associated with sarcopenia (β coefficient = −2.705, p < 0.001) but positively associated with intervention (β coefficient = 1.599, p = 0.023). Sarcopenia is associated with a decrease in TERRA expression in leukocytes. Rebound TERRA expression (returning to the level similar to the non-sarcopenic controls) was observed in the sarcopenic group after exercise and nutrition intervention. Future studies are warranted to examine the potential of TERRA as a biomarker for sarcopenia and its subsequent responses to intervention.
Highlights
The impact of sarcopenia has been well recognized in recent years, based on its association with several adverse health conditions, such as depression [1], cognitive impairment [2], a higher risk of Nutrients 2020, 12, 3766; doi:10.3390/nu12123766 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrientsNutrients 2020, 12, 3766 falling, and an increased incidence of hospitalization [3]
This study aimed to explore the impact of sarcopenia on telomere length and telomeric repeat-containing ribonucleic acid (RNA) (TERRA) expression, and changes following exercise and nutrition intervention in the sarcopenic population
The data of the present study revealed that the to-single copy gene (T/S) ratio for telomere length was negatively associated with age, but not sarcopenia
Summary
The impact of sarcopenia has been well recognized in recent years, based on its association with several adverse health conditions, such as depression [1], cognitive impairment [2], a higher risk of Nutrients 2020, 12, 3766; doi:10.3390/nu12123766 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrientsNutrients 2020, 12, 3766 falling, and an increased incidence of hospitalization [3]. Aging-related loss of muscle mass and function defines sarcopenia, which can result from physical inactivity, hormonal changes, and malnutrition [4]. Another contributing factor that has been highlighted recently is chronic inflammation, which leads to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and generation of reactive oxygen species [4]. The association of telomere length with exercise and nutrition has been highlighted by recent studies. In 2019, the meta-analysis conducted by Lin et al [7] found that the telomere length was longer in physically active subjects than inactive individuals, regardless of exercise intensity. Several studies [9,10,11]
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