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Cited by 168Muscle metabolism and nutritionMuscle Physiology and DisordersNutrition and Health in Aging

Differences in Muscle Protein Synthesis and Anabolic Signaling in the Postabsorptive State and in Response to Food in 65–80 Year Old Men and Women

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Smith, Gordon I., Atherton, Philip, Villareal, Dennis T., Frimel, Tiffany N., Rankin, Debbie, Rennie, Michael J., Mittendorfer, Bettina·2008·PLoS ONE
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0001875PMC PMC2267222
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Abstract

Women have less muscle than men but lose it more slowly during aging. To discover potential underlying mechanism(s) for this we evaluated the muscle protein synthesis process in postabsorptive conditions and during feeding in twenty-nine 65-80 year old men (n = 13) and women (n = 16). We discovered that the basal concentration of phosphorylated eEF2(Thr56) was approximately 40% less (P<0.05) and the basal rate of MPS was approximately 30% greater (P = 0.02) in women than in men; the basal concentrations of muscle phosphorylated Akt(Thr308), p70s6k(Thr389), eIF4E(Ser209), and eIF4E-BP1(Thr37/46) were not different between the sexes. Feeding increased (P<0.05) Akt(Thr308) and p70s6k(Thr389) phosphorylation to the same extent in men and women but increased (P<0.05) the phosphorylation of eIF4E(Ser209) and eIF4E-BP1(Thr37/46) in men only. Accordingly, feeding increased MPS in men (P<0.01) but not in women. The postabsorptive muscle mRNA concentrations for myoD and myostatin were not different between sexes; feeding doubled myoD mRNA (P<0.05) and halved that of myostatin (P<0.05) in both sexes. Thus, there is sexual dimorphism in MPS and its control in older adults; a greater basal rate of MPS, operating over most of the day may partially explain the slower loss of muscle in older women.

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Authors
Smith, G. I., Atherton, P., Villareal, D. T., Frimel, T. N., Rankin, D., Rennie, M. J., & Mittendorfer, B.
Affiliations
  • Washington University in St. Louis (US)
  • University of Nottingham (GB)
Corresponding author
Mittendorfer, Bettina
ORCID
Venue
PLoS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2008-03-26
Volume
3
Issue
3
Pages
e1875
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0001875
PMC
PMC2267222
OpenAlex
W2169296372
Cited by
168
References
12
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 13
FWCI
4.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Commons@Becker (Washington University School of Medicine) (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Research Councils UK
  • European Commission
  • University of Nottingham
  • National Institutes of Health (5p41rr000954-34, 7r01ag025501-06, DK56341, AR 49869, RR-00954)
  • Directorate for Biological Sciences
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/C516779/1, BB/XX510697/1)
  • National Institute on Aging (R01-AG025501, AG-025501)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK56341, P30DK056341)
  • National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (R01AR049869, AR49869)
  • National Center for Research Resources (P41-RR000954, RR 00954, RR.00036, M01RR000036)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
Keywords
muscle protein synthesis, sexual dimorphism, aging, postabsorptive state, feeding response, anabolic signaling, eEF2 phosphorylation, Akt phosphorylation, p70S6K, eIF4E, myostatin, MyoD, sarcopenia, older adults
MeSH terms
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Intestinal Absorption, Male, Muscle Proteins, Phosphorylation, Signal Transduction, Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4E, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt

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