Aging of the musculoskeletal system: How the loss of estrogen impacts muscle strength

Abstract

Skeletal muscle weakness occurs with aging and in females this is compounded by the loss of estrogen with ovarian failure. Estrogen deficiency mediates decrements in muscle strength from both inadequate preservation of skeletal muscle mass and decrements in the quality of the remaining skeletal muscle. Processes and components of skeletal muscle that are affected by estrogens are beginning to be identified. This review focuses on mechanisms that contribute to the loss of muscle force generation when estrogen is low in females, and conversely the maintenance of strength by estrogen. Evidence is accumulating that estrogen deficiency induces apoptosis in skeletal muscle contributing to loss of mass and thus strength. Estrogen sensitive processes that affect quality, i.e., force generating capacity of muscle, include myosin phosphorylation and satellite cell function. Further detailing these mechanisms and identifying additional mechanisms that underlie estrogenic effects on skeletal muscle is important foundation for the design of therapeutic strategies to minimize skeletal muscle pathologies, such as sarcopenia and dynapenia.

Clinical Implications of Estimating Glomerular Filtration Rate with Three Different Equations among Older People. Preliminary Results of the Project “Screening for Chronic Kidney Disease among Older People across Europe (SCOPE)”

“…Thus, the above findings together with the observation that the difference between BIS and FAS was only marginally affected by serum creatinine, ACR and muscle mass in the present study, suggest that the population of the SCOPE study may be on one side very similar to that used for the development of the BIS and FAS equations (i.e., an older population aged 75 or more that includes sarcopenic patients), and on the other side very different from that used for the development of the CKD-EPI equation (i.e., a younger population including only 13% of people aged 65 or more). Finally, part of the sex differences observed in our study for the different GFR equations may be attributed to the lower muscle mass of women participating in the SCOPE study (Table 1) [41].…”

Muscle and bone mass in middle‐aged women: role of menopausal status and physical activity

“…The most plausible structure through which oestrogen deprivation may have an effect on muscle mass is the muscle tissue itself . A recent review by Collins et al suggests that cellular apoptosis pathways, including heat‐shock proteins, ligands for cell death receptors, and microRNAs that are known to target key players of the apoptotic pathways, are the strongest candidates for muscle mass decline during oestrogen deficiency. Moreover, muscle fibre atrophy may be due to the mitochondrial dysfunction that induces apoptosis and dysregulation of energetic pathways …”

Editorial: New Insights into Estrogen/Estrogen Receptor Effects in the Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle

“…Mahmoodzadeh and Dworatzek take a closer look and review the regulation of cardiac mitochondrial function and Ca 2+ ion channels by 17β-estradiol (E2) and its receptors, thereby affecting contractile function. The E2/ER axis also impacts skeletal muscle contractility and mitochondrial bioenergetics (7)(8)(9)(10)(11). Counts et al report in their original research study that mitochondrial dysfunction was attenuated by the administration of E2 in a genetic mouse model of cachexia.…”