"Stress Protein" slows down muscle aging
As part of a joint work, researchers from the University of Liverpool and the University of California, working under the guidance of Professor Anne McArdle, have found that the HSP10 protein involved in the formation of stress reactions is able to slow down the degeneration of muscle tissue that accompanies the aging process of the body.
Belonging to the family of heat shock proteins, HSP10 is involved in monitoring and regulating inter-protein interactions in the body. Its production in cells increases under the influence of various stressful effects from the environment, including infectious diseases and physical exertion. The authors found that a high concentration of HSP10 in mitochondria helps to preserve muscle strength and slow down their aging.
By-products of mitochondria are free radicals, which play an important role in the aging process. One of the manifestations of their action in muscle tissue cells is damage to cellular structures, accompanied by a decrease in muscle volume and a decrease in their contractility. Increasing the level of HSP10 helps the cell to resist these damages and promotes their rapid and effective recovery. The results of a study on a line of transgenic mice with increased expression of HSP10 in skeletal muscle cells showed that age-associated muscle atrophy can be avoided.
Between the ages of 50 and 70, a person loses about 25-30% of muscle mass, and falls, which are one of the main causes of injury and death among people over the age of 65, are most often the direct result of weakening of skeletal muscles and deterioration of motor function. Therefore, the authors believe that the data they have obtained can significantly improve the quality of life of older people in the future.
They plan to develop ways to forcibly stimulate HSP10 production in the body, especially in aging skeletal muscles, as well as to study the therapeutic effects of this protein.
The results of the work are published in the American Journal of Physiology in the article "Overexpression of HSP10 in skeletal muscle of transgenic mice prevents the age-related fall in maximum tetanic force generation and muscle cross-sectional area".
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru According to ScienceDaily: 'Stress' Protein Could Halt Aging Process, Say Scientists.
26.05.2010