A team of researchers in Japan is studying how to maintain muscle health as we age. This is crucial because biological processes, including muscle repair, tend to slow down over time.
Researchers at Kyushu University have focused on hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a protein key to muscle repair. They found that with age, HGF undergoes a chemical change called nitration, which disrupts its function.
Their latest study, published in Scientific Reports, tested two antioxidant compounds to protect HGF from this alteration. Antioxidants are molecules that prevent damaging chemical reactions. Professor Ryuichi Tatsumi explained that while HGF isn’t missing in older people, it can become chemically changed, so they explored whether strong antioxidants might prevent these changes or counteract their effects.
The compounds tested were glutathione trisulfide (GSSSG) and lipoic acid trisulfide (LASSS), both known for their reactive protective properties. Initial tests indicated that these compounds could reduce nitration at key points on HGF. Particularly, LASSS improved HGF’s ability to connect with muscle stem cells, which is essential for repair.
Experiments on mice showed that LASSS effectively reduced nitration, suggesting it could support muscle maintenance during ageing. Before these findings can be applied to humans, further tests are needed.
Future research will include longer-term studies and testing LASSS in older mice. These steps aim to confirm LASSS’s potential to combat age-related muscle loss and conditions like sarcopenia, which causes challenges in mobility and increases fall risk in older adults.
The study appeared in Scientific Reports.
