Abstract
Muscle wasting is a frequently observed, inflammation-driven condition in aging and disease, known as sarcopenia and cachexia. Current treatment strategies target the muscle directly and are often not able to reverse the process. Because a reduced gut function is related to systemic inflammation, this might be an indirect target to ameliorate muscle wasting, by administering pro-, pre-, and synbiotics. Therefore, this review aimed to study the potential of pro-, pre-, and synbiotics to treat muscle wasting and to elucidate which metabolites and mechanisms affect the organ crosstalk in cachexia. Overall, the literature shows that Lactobacillus species pluralis (spp.) and possibly other genera, such as Bifidobacterium, can ameliorate muscle wasting in mouse models. The beneficial effects of Lactobacillus spp. supplementation may be attributed to its potential to improve microbiome balance and to its reported capacity to reduce gut permeability. A subsequent literature search revealed that the reduction of a high gut permeability coincided with improved muscle mass or strength, which shows an association between gut permeability and muscle mass. A possible working mechanism is proposed, involving lactate, butyrate, and reduced inflammation in gut–brain–muscle crosstalk. Thus, reducing gut permeability via Lactobacillus spp. supplementation could be a potential treatment strategy for muscle wasting.
Highlights
Muscle wasting is a frequently observed condition that contributes to progressive functional impairment, psychologic distress, and overall reduced resilience [1,2]
An overview regarding the exact effect of both pro, pre, and synbiotics on muscle wasting was lacking
Our systematic literature analysis showed that Lactobacillus spp. and possibly other genera, such as Bifidobacterium, can ameliorate muscle wasting in mouse models; it has not been studied yet in humans
Summary
Muscle wasting is a frequently observed condition that contributes to progressive functional impairment, psychologic distress, and overall reduced resilience [1,2]. During muscle wasting, this equilibrium shifts toward muscle protein breakdown, which is often driven by inflammation, either disease- or age-induced These inflammation-related muscle wasting syndromes are known as cachexia and sarcopenia, respectively [2,3]. Because chronic inflammatory diseases such as cancer primarily develop in the elderly, sarcopenia and cachexia can co-occur [1,2]. Both syndromes negatively affect life expectancy, survival, and quality of life; especially for cachexia, current treatment strategies are limited, palliative, and often not able to reverse the muscle wasting process [1,3]
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