Cited by 399Apelin-related biomedical researchMuscle Physiology and DisordersNutrition and Health in Aging

The exerkine apelin reverses age-associated sarcopenia

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Vinel, Claire, Lukjanenko, Laura, Batut, Aurelie, Deleruyelle, Simon, Pradère, Jean-Philippe, Le Gonidec, Sophie, Dortignac, Alizée, Geoffre, Nancy +20 more·2018·Nature Medicine

Abstract

Sarcopenia, the degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass, quality and strength, lacks early diagnostic tools and new therapeutic strategies to prevent the frailty-to-disability transition often responsible for the medical institutionalization of elderly individuals. Herein we report that production of the endogenous peptide apelin, induced by muscle contraction, is reduced in an age-dependent manner in humans and rodents and is positively associated with the beneficial effects of exercise in older persons. Mice deficient in either apelin or its receptor (APLNR) presented dramatic alterations in muscle function with increasing age. Various strategies that restored apelin signaling during aging further demonstrated that this peptide considerably enhanced muscle function by triggering mitochondriogenesis, autophagy and anti-inflammatory pathways in myofibers as well as enhancing the regenerative capacity by targeting muscle stem cells. Taken together, these findings revealed positive regulatory feedback between physical activity, apelin and muscle function and identified apelin both as a tool for diagnosis of early sarcopenia and as the target of an innovative pharmacological strategy to prevent age-associated muscle weakness and restore physical autonomy.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41591-018-0131-6

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64 of 64 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • In humans and animal models, exercise increases muscle mRNA levels of apelin and possibly serum apelin.

    “In both humans and animal models, exercise increases muscle mRNA levels of apelin94 and possibly serum levels of apelin95,96.”

    From Exerkines in health, resilience and disease (2022) · cites this paper as [96]

  • In an animal model, skeletal muscle was a source of apelin secretion that improved muscle function in ageing, supporting apelin as a potential therapy for age-related sarcopenia.

    “In an animal model, skeletal muscle95,96 served as a source of apelin secretion, which improved skeletal muscle function in the setting of ageing, supporting the potential of apelin as a therapeutic to combat age-related sarcopenia94–96.”

    From Exerkines in health, resilience and disease (2022) · cites this paper as [96]

  • In old mice, increased apelin exposure via daily injection or skeletal muscle overexpression stimulated muscle mitochondrial biogenesis, muscle protein synthesis and muscle stem cell enhancement to stimulate regeneration.

    “Specifically in old mice, increased apelin exposure (by daily injection or skeletal muscle overexpression) stimulated muscle mitochondrial biogenesis, muscle protein synthesis and enhancement of muscle stem cells to stimulate muscle regeneration96.”

    From Exerkines in health, resilience and disease (2022) · cites this paper as [96]

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Authors
Vinel, C., Lukjanenko, L., Batut, A., Deleruyelle, S., Pradère, J.-P., Le Gonidec, S., Dortignac, A., Geoffre, N., Pereira, O., Karaz, S., Lee, U., Camus, M., Chaoui, K., Mouisel, E., Bigot, A., Mouly, V., Vigneau, M., Pagano, A. F., Chopard, A., Pillard, F., Guyonnet, S., Cesari, M., Burlet-Schiltz, O., Pahor, M., Feige, J. N., Vellas, B., Valet, P., & Dray, C.
Affiliations
  • Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (FR)
  • Nestlé (Switzerland) (CH)
  • École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
  • Institut des Technologies Avancées en sciences du Vivant (FR)
  • Université de Montpellier (FR)
  • University of Florida (US)
Venue
Nature Medicine
Published
2018-07-30
Volume
24
Issue
9
Pages
1360-1371
ISSN
  • 1078-8956 (ISSN-L)
  • 1546-170X
OpenAlex
W2884388698
Cited by
398
References
64
Citations by year
2026: 61 · 2025: 54 · 2024: 54 · 2023: 38 · 2022: 59 · 2021: 47 · 2020: 46 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 5
FWCI
21.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
  • Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-16-CE18-0022)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Apelin-related biomedical research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
Keywords
apelin, sarcopenia, aging, skeletal muscle function, physical activity, apelin receptor, mitochondrial biogenesis, autophagy, muscle stem cells, muscle regeneration, frailty, anti-inflammatory signaling, exerkines, muscle weakness
MeSH terms
Apelin, Apelin Receptors, Adenylate Kinase, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Animals, Organelle Biogenesis, Body Weight, Humans, Kinetics, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Regeneration, Protein Biosynthesis, Exercise, Muscle, Skeletal, Muscle Weakness, Muscle Cells, Satellite Cells, Skeletal Muscle, Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt, Sarcopenia

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