Department of Pharmacology, Hypoxia-related Disease Research Center, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Korea.
Department of Kinesiology, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Korea.
Cells. 2020 Jun 2;9(6):1385. doi: 10.3390/cells9061385.
Sarcopenia has been defined as a progressive decline of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and functions in elderly people. It is accompanied by physical frailty, functional disability, falls, hospitalization, and mortality, and is becoming a major geriatric disorder owing to the increasing life expectancy and growing older population worldwide. Experimental models are critical to understand the pathophysiology of sarcopenia and develop therapeutic strategies. Although its etiologies remain to be further elucidated, several mechanisms of sarcopenia have been identified, including cellular senescence, proteostasis imbalance, oxidative stress, and "inflammaging." In this article, we address three main aspects. First, we describe the fundamental aging mechanisms. Next, we discuss both in vitro and in vivo experimental models based on molecular mechanisms that have the potential to elucidate the biochemical processes integral to sarcopenia. The use of appropriate models to reflect sarcopenia and/or its underlying pathways will enable researchers to understand sarcopenia and develop novel therapeutic strategies for sarcopenia. Lastly, we discuss the possible molecular targets and the current status of drug candidates for sarcopenia treatment. In conclusion, the development of experimental models for sarcopenia is essential to discover molecular targets that are valuable as biochemical biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets for sarcopenia.
肌少症被定义为老年人骨骼肌质量、力量和功能的进行性下降。它伴随着身体虚弱、功能障碍、跌倒、住院和死亡，并且由于全球预期寿命的延长和人口老龄化，它正在成为一种主要的老年疾病。实验模型对于理解肌少症的病理生理学和开发治疗策略至关重要。尽管其病因仍有待进一步阐明，但已经确定了几种肌少症的机制，包括细胞衰老、蛋白质平衡失调、氧化应激和“炎症衰老”。在本文中，我们将讨论三个主要方面。首先，我们描述了基本的衰老机制。接下来，我们讨论了基于有潜力阐明肌少症内在生化过程的分子机制的体外和体内实验模型。使用合适的模型来反映肌少症及其潜在途径将使研究人员能够理解肌少症并为肌少症开发新的治疗策略。最后，我们讨论了肌少症治疗的可能分子靶点和当前的药物候选物状况。总之，肌少症实验模型的发展对于发现有价值的生化生物标志物和/或治疗靶点至关重要。
