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Critchlow AJ, Hiam D, Williams R, Scott D, Lamon S. The role of estrogen in female skeletal muscle aging: A systematic review. Maturitas 2023; 178:107844. [PMID: 37716136 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2023.107844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Aging is associated with a loss of skeletal muscle mass and function that negatively impacts the independence and quality of life of older individuals. Females demonstrate a distinct pattern of muscle aging compared to males, potentially due to menopause, when the production of endogenous sex hormones declines. This systematic review aims to investigate the current knowledge about the role of estrogen in female skeletal muscle aging. A systematic search of MEDLINE Complete, Global Health, Embase, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and CINHAL was conducted. Studies were considered eligible if they compared a state of estrogen deficiency (e.g. postmenopausal females) or supplementation (e.g. estrogen therapy) to normal estrogen conditions (e.g. premenopausal females or no supplementation). Outcome variables of interest included measures of skeletal muscle mass, function, damage/repair, and energy metabolism. Quality assessment was completed with the relevant Johanna Briggs critical appraisal tool, and data were synthesized in a narrative manner. Thirty-two studies were included in the review. Compared to premenopausal women, postmenopausal women had reduced muscle mass and strength, but the effect of menopause on markers of muscle damage and expression of the genes involved in metabolic signaling pathways remains unclear. Some studies suggest a beneficial effect of estrogen therapy on muscle size and strength, but evidence is largely conflicting and inconclusive, potentially due to large variations in the reporting and status of exposure and outcomes. The findings from this review point toward a potential negative effect of estrogen deficiency on aging skeletal muscle, but further mechanistic evidence is needed to clarify its role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabel J Critchlow
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
| | - Danielle Hiam
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
| | - Ross Williams
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
| | - David Scott
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Geelong, Australia; School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.
| | - Séverine Lamon
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
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Dam TV, Dalgaard LB, Johansen FT, Bengtsen MB, Mose M, Lauritsen KM, Gravholt CH, Hansen M. Effects of transdermal estrogen therapy on satellite cell number and molecular markers for muscle hypertrophy in response to resistance training in early postmenopausal women. Eur J Appl Physiol 2023; 123:667-681. [PMID: 36585491 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-022-05093-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the effects of resistance training with or without transdermal estrogen therapy (ET) on satellite cell (SC) number and molecular markers for muscle hypertrophy in early postmenopausal women. METHODS Using a double-blinded randomized controlled design, we allocated healthy, untrained postmenopausal women to perform 12 weeks of resistance training with placebo (PLC, n = 16) or ET (n = 15). Muscle biopsies obtained before and after the intervention, and two hours after the last training session were analyzed for fiber type, SC number and molecular markers for muscle hypertrophy and degradation (real-time PCR, western blotting). RESULTS The analysis of SCs per Type I fiber showed a time x treatment interaction caused by a 47% decrease in PLC, and a 26% increase after ET after the training period. Also, SCs per Type II fiber area was lower after the intervention driven by a 57% decrease in PLC. Most molecular markers changed similarly in the two groups. CONCLUSION A decline in SC per muscle fiber was observed after the 12-week training period in postmenopausal women, which was counteracted when combined with use of transdermal ET. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER nct03020953.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tine Vrist Dam
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Dalgas Avenue 4, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Line Barner Dalgaard
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Dalgas Avenue 4, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Frank Ted Johansen
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Dalgas Avenue 4, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Mads Bisgaard Bengtsen
- Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Maike Mose
- Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Katrine Meyer Lauritsen
- Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Claus H Gravholt
- Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mette Hansen
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Dalgas Avenue 4, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
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Mechanisms of Estrogen Influence on Skeletal Muscle: Mass, Regeneration, and Mitochondrial Function. Sports Med 2022; 52:2853-2869. [PMID: 35907119 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-022-01733-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Human menopause is widely associated with impaired skeletal muscle quality and significant metabolic dysfunction. These observations pose significant challenges to the quality of life and mobility of the aging population, and are of relevance when considering the significantly greater losses in muscle mass and force-generating capacity of muscle from post-menopausal females relative to age-matched males. In this regard, the influence of estrogen on skeletal muscle has become evident across human, animal, and cell-based studies. Beneficial effects of estrogen have become apparent in mitigation of muscle injury and enhanced post-damage repair via various mechanisms, including prophylactic effects on muscle satellite cell number and function, as well as membrane stability and potential antioxidant influences following injury, exercise, and/or mitochondrial stress. In addition to estrogen replacement in otherwise deficient states, exercise has been found to serve as a means of augmenting and/or mimicking the effects of estrogen on skeletal muscle function in recent literature. Detailed mechanisms behind the estrogenic effect on muscle mass, strength, as well as the injury response are beginning to be elucidated and point to estrogen-mediated molecular cross talk amongst signalling pathways, such as apoptotic signaling, contractile protein modifications, including myosin regulatory light chain phosphorylation, and the maintenance of muscle satellite cells. This review discusses current understandings and highlights new insights regarding the role of estrogen in skeletal muscle, with particular regard to muscle mass, mitochondrial function, the response to muscle damage, and the potential implications for human physiology and mobility.
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Oxfeldt M, Dalgaard LB, Farup J, Hansen M. Sex Hormones and Satellite Cell Regulation in Women. TRANSLATIONAL SPORTS MEDICINE 2022; 2022:9065923. [PMID: 38655160 PMCID: PMC11022763 DOI: 10.1155/2022/9065923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Recent years have seen growing scholarly interest in female physiology in general. Moreover, particular attention has been devoted to how concentrations of female sex hormones vary during the menstrual cycle and menopausal transition and how hormonal contraception and hormonal therapy influence skeletal muscle tissue. While much effort has been paid to macro outcomes, such as muscle function or mass, rather less attention has been paid to mechanistic work that may help explain the underlying mechanism through which sex hormones regulate skeletal muscle tissue. Evidence from animal studies shows a strong relationship between the female sex hormone estrogen and satellite cells (SCs), a population of muscle stem cells involved in skeletal muscle regulation. A few human studies investigating this relationship have been published only recently. Thus, the purpose of this study was to bring an updated review on female sex hormones and their role in SC regulation. First, we describe how SCs regulate skeletal muscle maintenance and repair and introduce sex hormone signaling within the muscle. Second, we present evidence from animal studies elucidating how estrogen deficiency and supplementation influence SCs. Third, we present results from investigations from human trials including women whose concentrations of female hormones differ due to menopause, hormone therapy, hormonal contraceptives, and the menstrual cycle. Finally, we discuss research and methodological recommendations for future studies aiming at elucidating the link between female sex hormones and SCs with respect to aging and training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel Oxfeldt
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Jean Farup
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mette Hansen
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Geraci A, Calvani R, Ferri E, Marzetti E, Arosio B, Cesari M. Sarcopenia and Menopause: The Role of Estradiol. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:682012. [PMID: 34093446 PMCID: PMC8170301 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.682012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
During aging and menopausal transition in women, a progressive muscle degeneration (i.e. decrease in quality and muscle function) occurs. This muscle dysfunction, caused by decreased proliferation of muscle satellite cells, increased levels of inflammatory markers, and altered levels of sex hormones, exposes women to a raised incidence of sarcopenia. In this regard, hormonal balance and, in particular, estradiol, seems to be essential in skeletal muscle function. The role of the estradiol on satellite cells and the release of inflammatory cytokines in menopausal women are reviewed. In particular, estradiol has a beneficial effect on the skeletal muscle by stimulating satellite cell proliferation. Skeletal muscle can respond to estrogenic hormonal control due to the presence of specific receptors for estradiol at the level of muscle fibers. Additionally, estradiol can limit inflammatory stress damage on skeletal muscle. In this review, we primarily focused on the role of estradiol in sarcopenia and on the possibility of using Estradiol Replacement Therapy, which combined with nutritional and physical activity programs, can counteract this condition representing a valid tool to treat sarcopenia in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Geraci
- Geriatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Annalisa Geraci,
| | - Riccardo Calvani
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Evelyn Ferri
- Geriatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuele Marzetti
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Arosio
- Geriatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Cesari
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Geriatric Unit, IRCCS Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, Milan, Italy
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Chen Z, Li L, Wu W, Liu Z, Huang Y, Yang L, Luo Q, Chen J, Hou Y, Song G. Exercise protects proliferative muscle satellite cells against exhaustion via the Igfbp7-Akt-mTOR axis. Theranostics 2020; 10:6448-6466. [PMID: 32483463 PMCID: PMC7255041 DOI: 10.7150/thno.43577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Purpose: The exhaustion of muscle satellite cells (SCs) is correlated with muscle diseases, including sarcopenia and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Exercise benefits skeletal muscle homeostasis and promotes proliferation of SCs. Elucidating the molecular mechanism underlying the muscle function-improving effect of exercise has important implications in regenerative medicine. Methods: Herein, we investigated the effect of 4-week treadmill training on skeletal muscle and SCs in mice. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was utilized to detect the morphometry of skeletal muscles. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence were conducted to analyze the abundance and cell cycle of SCs. RNA sequencing was performed to elucidate the transcriptional regulatory network of SCs. The ChIP-PCR assay was used to detect enrichment of H3K27ac at the promoters of Akt. Results: We observed that exercise resulted in muscle hypertrophy and improved muscle regeneration in mice. Unexpectedly, exercise promoted cell cycling but suppressed the Akt-mTOR pathway in SCs. Proliferative SCs in “exercised mice” required suppressed mTOR activity to limit mitochondrial metabolism, maintaining the “limited activation status” of SCs against exhaustion. Mechanistically, exercise upregulated the expression of Igfbp7, thereby impeding the phosphorylation of Akt and resulting in inhibited mTOR activity and limited mitochondrial metabolism. The limited mitochondrial metabolism resulted in hypoacetylation of histone 3 and reduced enrichment of H3K27ac at promoters of Akt, decreasing the transcription of Akt. Moreover, repeatedly injured mice showed a preserved SC pool and improved muscle regeneration by the suppression of Akt-mTOR signaling. Conclusions: The findings of our study show that exercise protects proliferative SCs against exhaustion via the Igfbp7-Akt-mTOR axis. These findings establish a link between mechanical signaling, mitochondrial metabolism, epigenetic modification, and stem cell fate decisions; thus, present potential therapeutic targets for muscle diseases correlated with SC exhaustion.
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