Skeletal Muscle Lipid Content and Oxidative Activity in Relation to Muscle Fiber Type in Aging and Metabolic Syndrome
Abstract
One of the most noticeable effects of aging is the reduction in skeletal muscle mass and strength (sarcopenia). The metabolic syndrome (MS) is also prevalent in old subjects, but its relevance to skeletal muscle characteristics has poorly been investigated. Immunohistochemical studies were performed with muscle biopsies from young (22 years) and old (73 years) men with and without MS to reveal age-dependent and MS-associated modifications of fiber-type characteristics. Atrophy of type II fibers and altered fiber shape characterized muscle aging in lean healthy men. In contrast, increased cross-sectional area of the most abundant type I and type IIA fibers, and reduced cytochrome c oxidase content in all fiber types, characterized MS. Aging and particularly MS were associated with accumulation of intramyocellular lipid droplets. Although lipids mostly accumulated in type I fibers, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry imaging of intramyocellular lipids did not distinguish fiber types, but clearly separated young, old, and MS subjects. In conclusion, our study suggests that MS in the elderly persons is associated with alterations in skeletal muscle at a fiber-type specific level. Overall, these fiber type-specific modifications may be important both for the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength and for the increased prevalence of MS in elderly subjects.
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Aging and disuse, even in the absence of insulin resistance, are associated with increased intramyocellular lipids.
“However, aging and disuse, even in the absence of insulin resistance are associated with increased IMCLs [57, 60–63].”
From Targeting Intramyocellular Lipids to Improve Aging Muscle Function (2025) · cites this paper as [63]
Compared with healthy older adults, frail, mobility-impaired and high fall-risk older adults with reduced muscle performance have greater intramyocellular lipids.
“Compared to healthy older adults, studies report greater IMCLs in frail, mobility-impaired and high fall-risk older adults with reduced muscle performance, who are at increased risk of death and disability ([63, 70, 71].”
From Targeting Intramyocellular Lipids to Improve Aging Muscle Function (2025) · cites this paper as [63]
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“However, aging and disuse, even in the absence of insulin resistance are associated with increased IMCLs [57, 60–63].”
- Authors
- Gueugneau, M., Coudy-Gandilhon, C., Théron, L., Meunier, B., Barboiron, C., Combaret, L., Taillandier, D., Polge, C., Attaix, D., Picard, B., Verney, J., Roche, F., Féasson, L., Barthélémy, J.-C., & Béchet, D.
- Affiliations
- Université Clermont Auvergne (FR)
- Unité de Nutrition Humaine (FR)
- Université de Lyon (FR)
- ORCID
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2014-06-17
- Volume
- 70
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 566-576
- ISSN
- 1079-5006 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-535X
- OpenAlex
- W2113223144
- Cited by
- 137
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2
- FWCI
- 3.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Directorate for Biological Sciences
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Keywords
- skeletal muscle aging, sarcopenia, metabolic syndrome, muscle fiber type, intramyocellular lipid, lipid droplets, cytochrome c oxidase, oxidative activity, type I muscle fibers, muscle mass and strength, older men
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aging, Biopsy, Body Composition, Electron Transport Complex IV, Energy Metabolism, Humans, Male, Absorptiometry, Photon, Muscle Fibers, Skeletal, Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization, Metabolic Syndrome, Lipid Metabolism, Muscle Strength, Young Adult, Sarcopenia
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