This study is investigating changes to the proteins in skeletal muscle that contribute to reduced muscle size and muscle function that occurs with aging.
Age-related muscle atrophy and contractile dysfunction have been well described at the cellular level, but the molecular mechanisms that contribute to this dysfunction are poorly understood. Improved understanding of these mechanisms is critically important for the improvement of physical rehabilitation in older adults at risk for mobility impairment and physical disability. Our studies will pursue pre-clinical evidence that post translational modification of specific proteins in skeletal muscle lead to an "aging phenotype" in skeletal muscle that may unlock new strategies for improving physical function in older adults with physical frailty.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
24
Volunteers will perform knee extension exercise of the dominant limb while seated in a chair designed for exercise of the knee extensor muscle group. The chair will be equipped with a lever arm, aligned with the axis of rotation of the knee and fixed to the distal shank, 2 centimeters proximal to the ankle joint. The lever arm will be instrumented to provide resistance and measure velocity. The volunteers will perform 3-5 maximum voluntary contractions (MVC) to determine peak torque. Once established, volunteers will rest for 5 minutes before initiating the fatigue protocol, whereby they will perform repeated MVC of the dominant limb against resistance equal to or less than 50% of MVC until range of motion cannot be maintained. Because the goal of this exercise is to uniformly fatigue the quadriceps muscle group, this exercise will be performed continuously. It is expected to take between 1 and 3 minutes to achieve the desired level of fatigue.
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon, United States
RECRUITINGPhosphorylation of myosin binding protein c (MyBP-C)
Muscle tissue is immediately frozen after biopsy. Liquid chromatography and high resolution mass spectrometry will be used to do a full analysis of the phosphorylation sites on MyBP-C isolated from the biopsied muscle tissue.
Time frame: One week after the participant undergoes the biopsies.
Muscle fiber Force
Ex vivo assessment of Force (mN) will be performed on muscle fibers and bundles isolated from fatigued and non-fatigued muscle biopsies.
Time frame: Within three weeks of the intervention and biopsies.
Muscle fiber Tension
Ex vivo assessment of Tension (kPa) will be performed on muscle fibers and bundles isolated from fatigued and non-fatigued muscle biopsies.
Time frame: Within three weeks of the intervention and biopsies.
Muscle fiber Velocity
Ex vivo assessment of Velocity (Lo/s) will be performed on muscle fibers and bundles isolated from fatigued and non-fatigued muscle biopsies.
Time frame: Within three weeks of the intervention and biopsies.
Muscle fiber Power
Ex vivo assessment of Power (w/L) will be performed on muscle fibers and bundles isolated from fatigued and non-fatigued muscle biopsies.
Time frame: Within three weeks of the intervention and biopsies.
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