Emergence and Progression of Behavioral Motor Deficits and Skeletal Muscle Atrophy across the Adult Lifespan of the Rat.

ABSTRACT: The facultative loss of muscle mass and function during aging (sarcopenia) poses a serious threat to our independence and health. When activities of daily living are impaired (clinical phase), it appears that the processes leading to sarcopenia have been ongoing in humans for decades (preclinical phase). Here, we examined the natural history of sarcopenia in male outbred rats to compare the occurrence of motor behavioral deficits with the degree of muscle wasting and to explore the muscle-associated processes of the preclinical and clinical phases, respectively. Selected metrics were validated in female rats. We used the soleus muscle because of its long duty cycles and its importance in postural control. Results show that gait and coordination remain intact through middle age (40-60% of m

SUBMITTER: GronholdtKlein M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10526071 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature