School of Health and Medical Sciences, Division of Sport Sciences, Orebro University, Orebro, Sweden.
Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2010 Feb;20(1):39-48. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2009.00966.x. Epub 2009 Sep 1.
The decline in the neuromuscular function affects the physical performance and is a threat for independent living in later life. The age-related decrease in muscle satellite cells observed by the age of 70 can be specific to type II fibers in some muscles. Several studies have shown that different forms of exercise induce the expansion of satellite cell pool in human skeletal muscle of young and elderly. Exercise is a powerful non-pharmacological tool inducing the renewal of the satellite cell pool in skeletal muscles. Skeletal muscle is not a stable tissue as satellite cells are constantly recruited during normal daily activities. Satellite cells and the length of telomeres are important in the context of muscle regeneration. It is likely that the regulation of telomeres in vitro cannot fully mimic the behavior of telomeres in human tissues. New insights suggest that telomeres in skeletal muscle are dynamic structures under the influence of their environment. When satellite cells are heavily recruited for regenerative events as in the skeletal muscle of athletes, telomere length has been found to be either dramatically shortened or maintained and even longer than in non-trained individuals. This suggests the existence of mechanisms allowing the control of telomere length in vivo.
神经肌肉功能的衰退会影响身体机能，对晚年的独立生活构成威胁。70 岁时观察到的与年龄相关的肌肉卫星细胞减少，在某些肌肉中可能是 II 型纤维特有的。多项研究表明，不同形式的运动可诱导年轻人和老年人骨骼肌卫星细胞池的扩张。运动是一种强大的非药物手段，可以促进骨骼肌卫星细胞池的更新。骨骼肌不是稳定的组织，因为卫星细胞在正常的日常活动中不断被募集。卫星细胞和端粒的长度在肌肉再生方面很重要。体外端粒的调控可能无法完全模拟人体组织中端粒的行为。新的研究结果表明，端粒在骨骼肌中是一种受其环境影响的动态结构。当卫星细胞被大量募集以进行再生事件时，例如运动员的骨骼肌中，端粒长度已经被发现显著缩短或保持，甚至比未经训练的个体更长。这表明存在允许体内控制端粒长度的机制。
