A Role for Raised Ceramide Levels in Sarcopenia
Researchers here provide evidence for raised levels of ceramide in muscle tissue to be an important part of the metabolic dysfunction of aging. It reduces muscle stem cell activity, contributing to the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength that leads to sarcopenia and frailty. Whether working on this point of intervention, to produce improved ceramide blockers with fewer side-effects, is better or worse than other avenues is an open question. Altered metabolism is thought to be a fair way downstream from the root causes of aging, and tackling root causes should always be a better option. It is is very challenging to track backwards along the chain of cause and effect from an observation such as raised ceremide levels, however. Thus most research and development groups prefer to stop at this point and build a more limited intervention based on what is known now.
Researchers have discovered that when mice age, their muscles become packed with ceramides. Ceramides are sphingolipids, a class of fat molecules that are not used to produce energy but rather perform different tasks in the cell. The researchers found that, in aging, there is an overload of the protein SPT and others, all of which are needed to convert fatty acids and amino acids to ceramides.
Next, the scientists wanted to see whether reducing ceramide overload could prevent age-related decline in muscle function. They treated old mice with ceramide blockers, such as myriocin and the synthetic blocker Takeda-2, and used adeno-associated viruses to block ceramide synthesis specifically in muscle. The ceramide blockers prevented loss of muscle mass during aging, made the mice stronger, and allowed them to run longer distances while improving their coordination.
To study this effect more deeply, the scientists measured every known gene product in the muscle using a technique called RNA sequencing. They found that blockade of ceramide production activates muscle stem cells, making muscles build up more protein and shifting fiber type towards fast-twitch glycolytic to produce larger and stronger muscles in aged mice.
Finally, the scientists looked at whether reducing ceramides in muscle could also be beneficial in humans. They examined thousands of 70-80-year-old men and women, and discovered that 25% of them have a particular form of a gene that reduces the gene products of sphingolipid production pathways in muscle. The people who had this ceramide-reducing gene form were able to walk longer, be stronger, and were better able to stand up from a chair, indicating healthier aging, similar to mice treated with ceramide blockers.
Is this the same ceramide that we take for skin ?
I'll stop taking those until I know.
The only supplement that contains a ceramide blocker is cordyceps.
The problem is that studies don't list the commercially available brands that contain the blocker - myriocin. Most brands don't have detectable levels.
If anyone knows which ones do please reply.
We would all like to slow down the progress of muscle wasting while waiting for root cause repair drugs.
it is a pity that with advancing age the production of ceramides is transferred from the skin to the muscles. What systemic process (epigenetic or other) is behind this deregulation?
Pio anyone? "insulin sensitizing thiazolidinediones have been found in mouse models to reduce ceramides in skeletal muscle"
https://scitechdaily.com/researchers-identify-a-new-hallmark-of-aging/