Myostatin inhibition enhances the effects of exercise on performance and metabolic outcomes in aged mice

NK LeBrasseur, TM Schelhorn… - … Series A: Biomedical …, 2009 - academic.oup.com
NK LeBrasseur, TM Schelhorn, BL Bernardo, PG Cosgrove, PM Loria, TA Brown
Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biomedical Sciences and Medical …, 2009academic.oup.com
The objective of this study was to examine the effects of short-term exercise training,
myostatin inhibition (PF-354), and exercise+ PF-354, all relative to a vehicle control, on
performance and metabolic measures in 24-month-old mice. At study termination, PF-354–
treated mice exhibited significantly greater muscle weights. Performance measures revealed
that exercise+ PF-354 increased treadmill running time and distance to exhaustion (more
than twofold) and increased habitual activity. Measures of strength were not different; …
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the effects of short-term exercise training, myostatin inhibition (PF-354), and exercise + PF-354, all relative to a vehicle control, on performance and metabolic measures in 24-month-old mice. At study termination, PF-354–treated mice exhibited significantly greater muscle weights. Performance measures revealed that exercise + PF-354 increased treadmill running time and distance to exhaustion (more than twofold) and increased habitual activity. Measures of strength were not different; however, all treatment groups demonstrated more than 30% reductions in muscle fatigue. Metabolic measures showed that basal metabolic rates were higher in PF-354– and exercise + PF-354–treated mice, and exercise and exercise + PF-354 groups exhibited significantly greater insulin sensitivity. PF-354 was associated with decreased Smad3 phosphorylation and increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α expression and, similar to exercise, decreased MuRF-1. The data suggest that the combination of exercise training and myostatin blockade may significantly improve physical function and whole-body metabolism in older individuals.
Oxford University Press