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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #355801
Title: Metabolites related to renal function, immune activation, and carbamylation are associated with muscle composition in older adults

Author
item LUSTGARTEN, MICHAEL - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item FIELDING, ROGER - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University

Submitted to: Experimental Gerontology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/10/2017
Publication Date: 12/15/2017
Citation: Lustgarten, M.S., Fielding, R.A. 2017. Metabolites related to renal function, immune activation, and carbamylation are associated with muscle composition in older adults. Experimental Gerontology. 100:1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2017.10.003.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2017.10.003

Interpretive Summary: Aged muscle is characterized by an increase in fat, thereby reducing overall muscle composition. Poor muscle composition in older adults is associated with insulin resistance, decreased physical function, and an increased all-cause mortality risk. To elucidate mechanisms that may underlie the maintenance of muscle composition, we analyzed associations between circulating metabolites with a marker of muscle composition and between significant muscle composition metabolites with markers of kidney function and immune activation. Sixty circulating metabolites had a statistically significant association with muscle composition. Of these 60 metabolites, 29 were associated with at least 2 markers of reduced kidney function and with immune activation. As a potential explanation for these findings, we propose the novel hypothesis that the age-related increase in fat within muscle may be a compensatory antimicrobial response to protect against an elevated systemic microbial burden.

Technical Abstract: Reduced skeletal muscle density in older adults is associated with insulin resistance, decreased physical function, and an increased all-cause mortality risk. To elucidate mechanisms that may underlie the maintenance of skeletal muscle density, we conducted a secondary analysis of previously published muscle composition and serum metabolomic data in 73 older adults (average age, 78 y). Multivariable-adjusted linear regression was used to examine associations between 321 metabolites with muscle composition, defined as the ratio between normal density (NDM) with low density (LDM) thigh muscle cross sectional area (NDM/LDM). Sixty metabolites were significantly (p