Ceramides are a kind of lipid that play an essential role in preserving the stability and function of the skin barrier. They are an essential element of the skins natural hydration system and help to maintain moisture, secure against environmental stress factors, and keep the skin smooth and plump. Ceramides are frequently utilized in skin care products, such as moisturizers and creams, to enhance the skin and nurture barrier.
As they age, both mice and humans tend to end up being less active and lose muscle mass and strength. Researchers led by Johan Auwerx at EPFL have actually just recently discovered that aging mice have a build-up of ceramides in their muscles. Ceramides are frequently used in skin care products and are a type of sphingolipid, a class of fat molecules that carry out different cellular functions instead of being utilized for energy production.
The scientists found that, in aging, there is an overload of the protein SPT and others, all of which are required to convert fats and amino acids to ceramides. “The sphingolipids and ceramides are complicated yet very fascinating fat class, and there is high potential to more study their function in aging, as they carry out lots of varied functions,” states Dr. Pirkka-Pekka Laurila, a medical physician and the lead author of the research study.
Next, the researchers wished to see whether minimizing ceramide overload could avoid age-related decline in muscle function. They dealt with old mice with ceramide blockers, such as myriocin and the artificial blocker Takeda-2, and used adeno-associated infections to block ceramide synthesis specifically in muscle. The ceramide blockers prevented loss of muscle mass throughout aging, made the mice stronger, and enabled them to run longer distances while improving their coordination.
To study this result more deeply, the researchers measured every recognized gene item in the muscle using a strategy called RNA sequencing. “It turned out that blockade of ceramide production triggers muscle stem cells, making muscles build up more protein and shifting fiber type towards fast-twitch glycolytic to produce bigger and more powerful muscles in aged mice,” discusses Dr. Martin Wohlwend, the primary partner in the research study.
Finally, the scientists took a look at whether decreasing ceramides in muscle could also be advantageous in people. They analyzed thousands of 70-80-year-old guys and ladies from Helsinki and found that 25% of them have a specific form of a gene that lowers the gene items of sphingolipid production pathways in muscle. Individuals who had this ceramide-reducing gene kind were able to stroll longer, be more powerful, and were much better able to stand from a chair, suggesting healthier aging, comparable to mice treated with ceramide blockers.
” These findings are extremely essential as they provide us with a strong reward to develop inhibitors which could be tested in people,” states Johan Auwerx. The scientists are now embarking on cooperations with the pharmaceutical industry.
Reference: “Sphingolipids collect in aged muscle, and their decrease neutralizes sarcopenia” by Pirkka-Pekka Laurila, Martin Wohlwend, Tanes Imamura de Lima, Peiling Luan, Sébastien Herzig, Nadège Zanou, Barbara Crisol, Maroun Bou-Sleiman, Eleonora Porcu, Hector Gallart-Ayala, Michal K. Handzlik, Qi Wang, Suresh Jain, Davide DAmico, Minna Salonen, Christian M. Metallo, Zoltan Kutalik, Thomas O. Eichmann, Nicolas Place, Julijana Ivanisevic, Jari Lahti, Johan G. Eriksson and Johan Auwerx, 16 December 2022, Nature Aging.DOI: 10.1038/ s43587-022-00309-6.
The research study was moneyed by EPFL, the European Research Council, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Fondation Suisse de Recherche sur les Maladies Musculaires (FSRMM), Fondation Marcel Levaillant, the Academy of Finland, the Finnish Diabetes Research Society, the Folkhälsan Research Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Finska Läkaresällskapet, the Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, the Juho Vainio Foundation, the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation, the University of Helsinki, the Sigrid Juselius Foundation, the Finnish Ministry of Education, the Ahokas Foundation, the Emil Aaltonen Foundation, the Paavo Nurmi Foundation, the Orion Foundation, and a Scottish Senior Clinical Fellowship.
Ceramides are a type of lipid that play a crucial function in preserving the integrity and function of the skin barrier. Ceramides are frequently utilized in skincare items, such as moisturizers and creams, to nourish and enhance the skin barrier.
They treated old mice with ceramide blockers, such as myriocin and the synthetic blocker Takeda-2, and utilized adeno-associated infections to obstruct ceramide synthesis particularly in muscle.