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The Combination of Lactoferrin and Creatine Ameliorates Muscle Decay in a Sarcopenia Murine Model

Authors :
Wenbin Wu
Xinlu Guo
Taiqi Qu
Yuejia Huang
Jin Tao
Jian He
Xiaoping Wang
Junjie Luo
Peng An
Yinhua Zhu
Yanan Sun
Yongting Luo
Source :
Nutrients, Vol 16, Iss 12, p 1958 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Background: Sarcopenia is an age-related condition characterized by progressive loss of muscle mass, strength, and function. The occurrence of sarcopenia has a huge impact on physical, psychological, and social health. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia is becoming an important public health issue. Method: 35 six-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups, one of which served as a control group, while the rest of the groups were constructed as a model of sarcopenia by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose. The intervention with lactoferrin, creatine, and their mixtures, respectively, was carried out through gavage for 8 weeks. Muscle function was assessed based on their endurance, hanging time, and grip strength. The muscle tissues were weighed to assess the changes in mass, and the muscle RNA was extracted for myogenic factor expression and transcriptome sequencing to speculate on the potential mechanism of action by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. Result: The muscle mass (lean mass, GAS index), and muscle function (endurance, hanging time, and grip strength) decreased, and the size and structure of myofiber was smaller in the model group compared to the control group. The intervention with lactoferrin and creatine, either alone or combination, improved muscle mass and function, restored muscle tissue, and increased the expression of myogenic regulators. The combined group demonstrated the most significant improvement in these indexes. The RNA-seq results revealed enrichment in the longevity-regulated pathway, MAPK pathway, focal adhesion, and ECM–receptor interaction pathway in the intervention group. The intervention group may influence muscle function by affecting the proliferation, differentiation, senescence of skeletal muscle cell, and contraction of muscle fiber. The combined group also enriched the mTOR-S6K/4E-BPs signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and energy metabolism-related pathways, including Apelin signaling, insulin resistance pathway, and adipocytokine signaling pathway, which affect energy metabolism in muscle. Conclusions: Lactoferrin and creatine, either alone or in combination, were found to inhibit the progression of sarcopenia by influencing the number and cross-sectional area of muscle fibers and muscle protein synthesis. The combined intervention appears to exert a more significant effect on energy metabolism.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20726643
Volume :
16
Issue :
12
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Nutrients
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.99e23b5c0342edb05723462b56066e
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16121958