The role of mitochondria in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia: a concise review

Abstract

The aging process results in progressive loss of muscle mass and strength, a condition known as sarcopenia. At biological-molecular level, this condition is characterized by numerous changes that occur in the muscle cell, such as increased protein degradation, apoptosis, altered autophagy process, impaired myogenic pathway, and mitochondrial dysfunction. The purpose of this concise review is to provide a brief overview of the involvement of mitochondria in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia, highlighting the potential involvement of carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1, an enzyme localized in the outer mitochondrial membrane, involved in the transport of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondrion for β-oxidation. This protein is a potential new player in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia, since it may be responsible for the accumulation of fat mass and the development of insulin resistance in the muscle tissue of affected subjects, thus suggesting a new pathway underlying the onset and progression of the disease. KEY WORDS: Sarcopenia, mitochondria, muscle, mitochondrial dysfunction, energy metabolism.