Attenuating Cholinergic Transmission Increases the Number of Satellite Cells and Preserves Muscle Mass in Old Age

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

Gregorio Valdez¹  Natalia M. Sutherland³  Sydney K. Vaughan⁴ 

[1] Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States;Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States;Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, United States;Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States;

关键词: cholinergic transmission;    VAChT;    Pax7;    aging;    synapse;    sarcopenia;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fnagi.2019.00262

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

In addition to driving contraction of skeletal muscles, acetylcholine (ACh) acts as an anti-synaptogenic agent at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). Previous studies suggest that aging is accompanied by increases in cholinergic activity at the NMJ, which may play a role in neuromuscular degeneration. In this study, we hypothesized that moderately and chronically reducing ACh could attenuate the deleterious effects of aging on NMJs and skeletal muscles. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed NMJs and muscle fibers from heterozygous transgenic mice with reduced expression of the vesicular ACh transporter (VAChT; VKDHet), which present with approximately 30% less synaptic ACh compared to control mice. Because ACh is constitutively decreased in VKDHet, we first analyzed developing NMJs and muscle fibers. We found no obvious morphological or molecular differences between NMJs and muscle fibers of VKDHet and control mice during development. In contrast, we found that moderately reducing ACh has various effects on adult NMJs and muscle fibers. VKDHet mice have significantly larger NMJs and muscle fibers compared to age-matched control mice. They also present with reduced expression of the pro-atrophy gene, Foxo1, and have more satellite cells in skeletal muscles. These molecular and cellular features may partially explain the increased size of NMJs and muscle fibers. Thus, moderately reducing ACh may be a therapeutic strategy to prevent the loss of skeletal muscle mass that occurs with advancing age.

【 授权许可】

Unknown