Effects of long-term antioxidant food intake and of mechanical stress to skeletal muscle on sarcopenia

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K01726
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sports science
• Research Institution: Yamaguchi University
• Principal Investigator: SUGIURA Takao 山口大学, 教育学部, 教授 (80136150)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 抗酸化食 / 機能的過負荷 / 筋タンパク質合成 / 筋タンパク質分解

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study was investigated whether or not astaxanthin (Ax) intake , which is an antioxidant food, and/or functional overload (FO), for 6 months supress the sarcopenia using 10- and 40-week-old Wistar male rats. Muscle weights and were significantly increased by FO for both the fast-twitch plantaris muscle (PLA) and the slow-twitch muscle (SOL). The relative muscle weights of the Ax + FO group were significantly (p <0.05) higher compared to the Cont, Ax and FO in SOL of high-week-old rats, and an additive effect was observed with the combination of Ax intake and FO. Cu/Zn-SOD expression, which are indicators of oxidative stress, were significantly lower in the Ax+FO group compared to the Cont. The expressions of autolyzed calpain 1 and ubiquitinated proteins in the Ax-ingested group were significantly reduced compared to those in the non-ingested group. These findings suggested that suppression of sarcopenia might be possible by suppression of some degradation systems by Ax intake.

Free Research Field

運動生化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

加齢に伴う骨格筋線維の萎縮や筋機能低下は、高齢者の骨折や疾病など健康維持に問題が生じ、医療費の増大につながる。したがって、サルコペニアを抑制することは健康寿命の延長や医療費増大の抑制などの観点からも、今日のわが国における重要なテーマである。
本研究においては、高週齢において、遅筋であるSOLでは抗酸化食摂取と機能的過負荷により筋重量は有意に増大し、加齢性筋萎縮を抑制できる可能性が示唆された。しかしながら、速筋であるPLAでは、遅筋で認められたような相加効果はみとめられず、今後、抗酸化剤に加え、タンパク質合成を促進する食事や漸増的な機械的刺激などの複合的な方策についての検討が必要である。