Mitochondrial function is impaired in the skeletal muscle of pre-frail elderly.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional comparative study
PubMed 29867098 · doi:10.1038/s41598-018-26944-x
What was done
Skeletal muscle mitochondrial function was assessed in pre-frail older adults (>60 years of age) compared to an age-matched population of active older adults. In vivo phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) was used to measure phosphocreatine recovery, and ex vivo vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were analyzed for mitochondrial respiratory complex protein levels, enzymatic activity, and microarray-based gene expression.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values, effect sizes, or p-values. It states that pre-frail participants had impaired phosphocreatine recovery, significantly lower mitochondrial respiratory complex protein and activity levels, and significantly downregulated mitochondrial genes compared with active elderly controls.
Why it matters
These findings suggest that mitochondrial bioenergetic impairment is present early in the aging process during pre-frailty, identifying a potential cellular target for preventative interventions before progression to overt frailty or sarcopenia.
Limits
The abstract does not disclose the sample size, specific demographic characteristics, or quantitative measurements. The cross-sectional design cannot establish whether mitochondrial dysfunction causes pre-frailty or results from reduced physical activity.
Cited by
- context Unbiased gene expression analysis of 30,000 genes in human skeletal muscle biopsies reveals that the top 30 downregulated pathways in fatigued older adults are all mitochondrial-linked.