Lack of NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation Reduces Age-Dependent Sarcopenia and Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Favoring the Prophylactic Effect of Melatonin.

Abstract

To investigate the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in muscular aging, we evaluated here the morphological and functional markers of sarcopenia in the NLRP3-knockout mice, as well as the beneficial effect of melatonin supplementation. The gastrocnemius muscles of young (3 months), early-aged (12 months), and old-aged (24 months) NLRP3-knockout female mice were examined. Moreover, locomotor activity and apoptosis were assessed. The results revealed early markers of sarcopenia at the age of 12 months, including reduction of lactate, ratio of muscle weight to body weight, muscle fibers number, and mitochondrial number. Increased interstitial tissues, apoptosis, and muscle fibers area, as well as mitochondrial damage were detected, with little muscular activity effects. In the old-aged, these alterations progressed with a reduction in locomotor activity, mitochondrial cristae destruction, nuclear fragmentation, tubular aggregates (TAs) formation, and increased frailty index. Oral melatonin supplementation preserved the normal muscular structure, muscle fibers number, and muscular activity in old age. Melatonin enhanced lactate production, recovered mitochondria, inhibited TAs formation, reduced apoptosis, and normalized frailty index. The fewer sarcopenic changes as well as the highly detectable prophylactic effects of melatonin treatment reported here in the muscle of NLRP3-knockout mice comparing with that previously detected in wild-type mice, confirming NLRP3 inflammasome implication in muscular aging and sarcopenia onset and progression.

• Authors: Ramy K A Sayed, Marisol Fernández-Ortiz, María E Diaz-Casado, Paula Aranda-Martínez, José Fernández-Martínez, Ana Guerra-Librero, Germaine Escames, Luis C López, Reem M Alsaadawy, Darío Acuña-Castroviejo
• Journal: The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences (J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci) Vol. 74 Issue 11 Pg. 1699-1708 (10 04 2019) ISSN: 1758-535X [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 30869745 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected].

Chemical References

• Inflammasomes
• NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
• Nlrp3 protein, mouse
• Melatonin

Topics

• Aging (genetics, physiology)
• Animals
• Biopsy, Needle
• Female
• Gene Expression Regulation
• Immunohistochemistry
• Inflammasomes (genetics)
• Melatonin (pharmacology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Mice, Knockout
• Models, Animal
• Muscle Strength (genetics, physiology)
• NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein (genetics)
• Sarcopenia (genetics, pathology)
• Sensitivity and Specificity