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Review
. 2015 May 11;16(5):10674-85.
doi: 10.3390/ijms160510674.

Skeletal muscle mitochondrial energetic efficiency and aging

Raffaella Crescenzo  1 , Francesca Bianco  2 , Arianna Mazzoli  3 , Antonia Giacco  4 , Giovanna Liverini  5 , Susanna Iossa  6
Affiliations
Review

Skeletal muscle mitochondrial energetic efficiency and aging

Raffaella Crescenzo et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Aging is associated with a progressive loss of maximal cell functionality, and mitochondria are considered a key factor in aging process, since they determine the ATP availability in the cells. Mitochondrial performance during aging in skeletal muscle is reported to be either decreased or unchanged. This heterogeneity of results could partly be due to the method used to assess mitochondrial performance. In addition, in skeletal muscle the mitochondrial population is heterogeneous, composed of subsarcolemmal and intermyofibrillar mitochondria. Therefore, the purpose of the present review is to summarize the results obtained on the functionality of the above mitochondrial populations during aging, taking into account that the mitochondrial performance depends on organelle number, organelle activity, and energetic efficiency of the mitochondrial machinery in synthesizing ATP from the oxidation of fuels.

Keywords: aging; mitochondria; proton leak; skeletal muscle.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Heterogeneous mitochondrial populations in skeletal muscle cells. Scale bar = 3 µm. White arrows = Intermyofibrillar mitochondria; Black arrows = Subsarcolemmal mitochondria.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Factors affecting cellular fuel oxidation. The amount of burned fuels mainly depends on mitochondrial energetic efficiency and ATP turnover (in red). Mitochondrial mass and oxidative capacity are less important because mitochondria are thought to have a much greater capacity to generate ATP than what is usually required [42].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Summary of the metabolic implications of the increased mitochondrial energetic efficiency in skeletal muscle with aging. The red circles identify the pathological outcomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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