Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Apr;102(4):433-442.
doi: 10.1007/s00223-017-0345-5. Epub 2017 Oct 20.

Gut Microbiota Contribute to Age-Related Changes in Skeletal Muscle Size, Composition, and Function: Biological Basis for a Gut-Muscle Axis

Gregory J Grosicki  1 , Roger A Fielding  1 , Michael S Lustgarten  2
Affiliations
Review

Gut Microbiota Contribute to Age-Related Changes in Skeletal Muscle Size, Composition, and Function: Biological Basis for a Gut-Muscle Axis

Gregory J Grosicki et al. Calcif Tissue Int. 2018 Apr.

Abstract

Skeletal muscle is a highly plastic tissue that plays a central role in human health and disease. Aging is associated with a decrease in muscle mass and function (sarcopenia) that is associated with a loss of independence and reduced quality of life. Gut microbiota, the bacteria, archaea, viruses, and eukaryotic microbes residing in the gastrointestinal tract are emerging as a potential contributor to age-associated muscle decline. Specifically, advancing age is characterized by a dysbiosis of gut microbiota that is associated with increased intestinal permeability, facilitating the passage of endotoxin and other microbial products (e.g., indoxyl sulfate) into the circulation. Upon entering the circulation, LPS and other microbial factors promote inflammatory signaling and skeletal muscle changes that are hallmarks of the aging muscle phenotype. This review will summarize existing literature suggesting cross-talk between gut microbiota and skeletal muscle health, with emphasis on the significance of this axis for mediating changes in aging skeletal muscle size, composition, and function.

Keywords: Aging; Gut microbiota; Inflammation; Sarcopenia; Skeletal muscle.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A gut-muscle axis that contributes to age-related changes in skeletal muscle size, composition, and function. Microbial shifts in the aging gut reduce tight junction integrity and increasing intestinal permeability allowing for the passage of microbial products (e.g., LPS, indoxyl sulfate, butyrate) into the blood. Once in the circulation, endotoxin and other microbial factors trigger pro-inflammatory signaling that is hypothesized to promote skeletal muscle atrophy concomitant with deleterious composition shifts. These changes lead to impairments in both the metabolic and contractile characteristics of skeletal muscle that reduce functional capacity and ultimately compromise functional independence and quality of life in older adults
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Guridi M, Tintignac LA, Lin S, Kupr B, Castets P, Ruegg MA. Activation of mTORC1 in skeletal muscle regulates whole-body metabolism through FGF21. Sci Signal. 2015;8:113. - PubMed
    1. Pedersen BK, Febbraio MA. Muscle as an endocrine organ: focus on muscle-derived interleukin-6. Physiol Rev. 2008;88:1379–1406. - PubMed
    1. Bortoluzzi S, Scannapieco P, Cestaro A, Danieli GA, Schiaffino S. Computational reconstruction of the human skeletal muscle secretome. Proteins. 2006;62:776–792. - PubMed
    1. Henningsen J, Rigbolt KT, Blagoev B, Pedersen BK, Kratchmarova I. Dynamics of the skeletal muscle secretome during myoblast differentiation. Mol Cell Proteomics. 2010;9:2482–2496. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Shreiner AB, Kao JY, Young VB. The gut microbiome in health and in disease. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2015;31:69–75. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Substances