Rejuvenation of the aged neuromuscular junction by exercise
Authors:Tabita Kreko-Pierce1,2 and Benjamin A. Eaton1,2
1 Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
2 Barshoph Institute of Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Keywords:
neurotrophin, neuromuscular junction, aging, retrograde signaling, exercise.
Abbreviations:
BDNF – brain-derived neurotrophic factor,
BMP – bone morphogenic protein,
EDL – extensor digitorum longus,
GDNF – glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor,
NMJ – neuromuscular junction,
NT – neurotrophin,
RyR – ryanodine receptor.
Corresponding Author(s):
Conflict of interest statement:
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Please cite this article as:
Tabita Kreko-Pierce and Benjamin A. Eaton (2018). Rejuvenation of the aged neuromuscular junction by exercise. Cell Stress 2(2): 25-33. doi: 10.15698/cst2018.02.123
© 2018 Kreko-Pierce and Eaton. This is an open-access article released under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which allows the unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are acknowledged.
Abstract:
Age-dependent declines in muscle function are observed across species. The loss of mobility resulting from the decline in muscle function represents an important health issue and a key determinant of quality of life for the elderly. It is believed that changes in the structure and function of the neuromuscular junction are important contributors to the observed declines in motor function with increased age. Numerous studies indicate that the aging muscle is an important contributor to the deterioration of the neuromuscular junction but the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving the degeneration of the synapse remain incompletely described. Importantly, growing data from both animal models and humans indicate that exercise can rejuvenate the neuromuscular junction and improve motor function. In this review we will focus on the role of muscle-derived neurotrophin signaling in the rejuvenation of the aged neuromuscular junction in response to exercise.