1. Academic Validation
  2. Ileal FXR-FGF15/19 signaling activation improves skeletal muscle loss in aged mice

Ileal FXR-FGF15/19 signaling activation improves skeletal muscle loss in aged mice

  • Mech Ageing Dev. 2022 Mar;202:111630. doi: 10.1016/j.mad.2022.111630.
Yixuan Qiu 1 Jiaming Yu 1 Xueying Ji 1 Huiyuan Yu 1 Mengjuan Xue 1 Fan Zhang 1 Yi Li 2 Zhijun Bao 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Gerontology, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, 200000, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine, Shanghai, 200000, China; Research Center on Aging and Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200000, China.
  • 2 Department of Geriatrics, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510000, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 3 Department of Gerontology, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, 200000, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine, Shanghai, 200000, China; Research Center on Aging and Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200000, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
Abstract

Sarcopenia is the age-related decrease in skeletal muscle mass, and current therapies for this disease are ineffective. We previously showed that ileal farnesoid X receptor (FXR)-fibroblast growth factor 15/19 (FGF15/19) signaling acts as a regulator of gut microbiota to mediate host skeletal muscle. However, the therapeutic potential of this pathway for sarcopenia is unknown. This study showed that ileal FXR-FGF15/19 signaling was downregulated in older men and aged male mice due to changes in the gut microbiota and microbial bile acid metabolism during aging. In addition, the intestine-specific FXR Agonist fexaramine increased skeletal muscle mass and improve muscle performance in aged mice. Ileal FXR activation increased skeletal muscle protein synthesis in a FGF15/19-dependent way, indicating that ileal FXR-FGF15/19 signaling is a potential therapeutic target for sarcopenia.

Keywords

Bile acid; FGF15/19; FXR; Fexaramine; Skeletal muscle.

Figures
Products