title: Testosterone improves the regeneration of old and young mouse skeletal muscle.
abstract: Aging is associated with loss of muscle mass and strength, reduced satellite cell number, and lower regenerative potential. Testosterone increases muscle mass, strength, and satellite cell number in humans; however, the effects of testosterone on the regenerative potential of skeletal muscle are unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of testosterone on the skeletal muscle regeneration of young (2-month-old) and aged (24-month-old) male mice. We show that testosterone increases the number of proliferating satellite cells in regenerating "tibialis anterior" muscle of young and aged castrated mice 2 and 4 days postinjury. Testosterone supplementation increases the number and the cross-sectional area of regenerating fibers in both classes of age 4 days postinjury. Testosterone increases satellite cell activation and proliferation and the regeneration of both young and aged mouse muscle. These data suggest prospective application of androgens to improve the regenerating potential of the aged human skeletal muscle.
authors.affiliation: Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA. cserra@bu.edu
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tangherlini
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rudy
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Toraldo
authors.forename: Nicolae Lucian
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Sandor
authors.forename: Anqi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jasuja
authors.forename: Shalender
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhasin
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004179:Cobra Cardiotoxin Proteins / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000378:metabolism; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D009919:Orchiectomy; D012038:Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D032496:Satellite Cells, Skeletal Muscle / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013739:Testosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D004179:Cobra Cardiotoxin Proteins; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D013739:Testosterone; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains