Muscle loss to disease and age is a widely studied subject because of the large population of elderly and the higher diagnosis of muscular disorders worldwide (Tortora and Derrickson 2012). Normally after 30 years of age humans begin losing muscle mass due to a variety of reasons such as decrease in exercise, and as a result of muscle mass loss: strength, muscle reflexes, and flexibility are affected (Tortora). According the article “Key Part of Old Mystery in Generating Muscle Mass Solved” from the ScienceDaily, Johns Hopkins researchers have identified how myostatin, a protein that muscle cells release to block further growth in the muscle, can be manipulated to increase muscle mass that would serve to help the elderly and patients who have been diagnosed with a muscular disorder (2012, September 27).Muscle stem cells, which serve to regenerate muscle mass when stimulated, known as satellite cells are affected with age and disease.

Knowing the effects of myostatin researches performed an experiment using specially bred mice to find out if myostatin binds to the satellite or muscle cells. Three tests where done in which the first group had defective satellite cells and the researchers blocked the activity of myostatin. They found that, blocking myostatin in the first group of mice resulted in an increase in their muscle mass suggesting myostatin did not act on satellite cells. A second experiment was performed with mice having functional satellite cells and the researchers again blocked myostatin activity. The results suggested that, although muscle mass increased in the absence of myostatin, the number of satellite cells did not, again suggesting myostatin did not affect the activity of satellite cells. Finally, to show that the relationship of myostatin is not with the satellite cells but with the muscle cells, researchers produced a group of mice whose muscle cells did not have the protein receptor that binds to myostatin. This experiment resulted in a notable muscle mass increase only in the mice whose muscle cells did not have the protein receptor that binds to myostatin, thus, establishing a meaningful relationship between myostatin and the muscle cell.

Because the cause of muscle loss and many muscular disorders affect satellite cells, focusing on the relationship between myostatin and the muscle cells could lead to better treatment for the elderly and those affected by muscle diseases. Although modern medicine has made a longer life possible, most who reach that stage of life deal with the pains and aches caused by muscle problems. So why not live a long life and live it for the most part comfortably? This lifestyle can be achieved by performing further research in the muscle cell and myostatin relationship.

Sources

Tortora G.J. and B. Derrickson. 2012. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. 13th ed., John Wiley and Sons

Johns Hopkins Medicine (2012, September 27). Key part of old mystery in generating muscle mass solved. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 25, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120927141304.htm