title: Skeletal muscle mitochondrial energetic efficiency and aging.
abstract: Aging is associated with a progressive loss of maximal cell functionality, and mitochondria are considered a key factor in aging process, since they determine the ATP availability in the cells. Mitochondrial performance during aging in skeletal muscle is reported to be either decreased or unchanged. This heterogeneity of results could partly be due to the method used to assess mitochondrial performance. In addition, in skeletal muscle the mitochondrial population is heterogeneous, composed of subsarcolemmal and intermyofibrillar mitochondria. Therefore, the purpose of the present review is to summarize the results obtained on the functionality of the above mitochondrial populations during aging, taking into account that the mitochondrial performance depends on organelle number, organelle activity, and energetic efficiency of the mitochondrial machinery in synthesizing ATP from the oxidation of fuels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Napoli I-80126, Italy. rcrescen@unina.it.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crescenzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Napoli I-80126, Italy. francibianco@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bianco
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Napoli I-80126, Italy. arimazzoli@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazzoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Napoli I-80126, Italy. antonia.giacco@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giacco
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Napoli I-80126, Italy. liverini@unina.it.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liverini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Napoli I-80126, Italy. susiossa@unina.it.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iossa
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008931:Mitochondria, Muscle / Q000378:metabolism*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
keywords: aging; mitochondria; proton leak; skeletal muscle