Serum concentrations of myostatin and myostatin-interacting proteins do not differ between young and sarcopenic elderly men

• Published in: The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences Vol. 66; no. 6; p. 620
• Main Authors: Ratkevicius, A, Joyson, A, Selmer, I, Dhanani, T, Grierson, C, Tommasi, A M, DeVries, A, Rauchhaus, P, Crowther, D, Alesci, S, Yaworsky, P, Gilbert, F, Redpath, T W, Brady, J, Fearon, K C H, Reid, D M, Greig, C A, Wackerhage, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.06.2011
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Follistatin - blood; Follistatin-Related Proteins - blood; Humans; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - analysis; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Interleukin-6 - blood; Male; Muscle Contraction; Myostatin - blood; Proteins - analysis; Sarcopenia - blood; Testosterone - blood
• ISSN: 1758-535X
• DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glr025

Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle size and function during ageing. The aim of this study was to test whether serum concentrations of myostatin and interacting proteins (GASP-1, FLRG, and follistatin) differed between young and elderly sarcopenic men. Isometric knee extensor maximal voluntary contraction and quadriceps cross-sectional area (magnetic resonance imaging measurement) were significantly higher in young (22 ± 2 years; 266 ± 54 N/m; 8,686 ± 1,154 mm(2)) than in mildly sarcopenic (69 ± 3 years; 183 ± 17 N/m; 6,621±718 mm(2)) and severely sarcopenic men (76 ± 6 years; 127 ± 23 N/m; 5,846 ± 591 mm(2)), respectively (p ≤ .01 for all comparisons). There was a trend (p = .06) toward higher FLRG in young (20 ± 8 ng/mL) than in mildly (15 ± 6 ng/mL) and severely sarcopenic men (17 ± 8 ng/mL). Myostatin, follistatin, GASP-1, tumor necrosis factor α, and interleukin-6 did not differ significantly. Insulin-like growth factor-1 and free testosterone were both significantly lower in sarcopenic men (p < .001). This suggests that altered serum concentrations of myostatin and myostatin-interacting proteins are not contributing to sarcopenia with the possible exception of FLRG.