Age-Related Muscle Loss Could Be Slowed By New Compound Discovered by Researchers in Japan

NEED TO KNOW

Researchers in Japan discovered a compound that may protect and enhance muscle repair as we age

The compound creates a stronger version of a key protein, potentially slowing muscle loss and preserving strength

The findings could benefit humans and animals, improving quality of life during aging or after extended inactivity

Weakening muscles associated with age might be able to be slowed down, according to a new study. 

On Friday, July 24, researchers at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan announced that they discovered a new compound that may help muscles stay strong as we age.

The team, led by professor Ryuichi Tatsumi at the school’s Faculty of Agriculture, published their findings in Science Daily, calling the new compound “Super HGF.” The name is derived from HGF [hepatocyte growth factor], a protein that helps activate muscle repair.

It also aids with skeletal muscle repair and regeneration.

“A sulfur-based compound called LASSS appears to protect and supercharge a key protein involved in repairing damaged muscle,” the researchers summarized. “The discovery could eventually lead to new ways to slow muscle loss and preserve strength as people age.”

For their research, the team investigated two compounds that each have powerful antioxidant properties: glutathione trisulfide (GSSSG) and lipoic acid trisulfide (LASSS). Both are trisulfides, a class of molecules containing three sulfur atoms connected in sequence.

HGF can contribute to muscle fiber repair, but as the body ages naturally, the process of muscle restoration can typically become interrupted.

“HGF is not necessarily missing as we age,” Tatsumi said. “Rather, it can be chemically altered after it is made. That led us to wonder whether a compound with strong antioxidant capacity might protect HGF, either by preventing nitration or by compensating for the functional loss it causes.” 

His team’s study found that in initial experiments, GSSSG and LASSS suppressed the nitration of HGF until untreated HGF eventually became more resistant to nitration-induced dysfunction.

“This exceeded our expectations,” Tatsumi said of the results. “We knew trisulfides had diverse biological functions, but we never expected that simply mixing HGF with LASSS would produce such a striking effect.”

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“What this tells us is that LASSS does more than simply neutralize reactive molecules. It may interact directly with HGF and induce a subtle structural change, creating an enhanced ‘Super HGF’ form that binds c-met more strongly and resists nitration,” he added.

In addition to addressing muscle breakdown associated with aging, the findings may also help people who experience muscle loss from non-aging factors such as extended periods of bed rest.

With continued studies, the team believes their HGF discovery can not only aid humans, but help animals such as cats and dogs to “preserve independence, quality of life, and healthy lifespan in later years.”

Read the original article on People