title: Age-Related Changes in Skeletal Muscle of Cattle.
abstract: Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, is a multifactorial condition that represents a major healthcare concern for the elderly population. Although its morphologic features have been extensively studied in humans, animal models, and domestic and wild animals, only a few reports about spontaneous sarcopenia exist in other long-lived animals. In this work, muscle samples from 60 healthy Podolica-breed old cows (aged 15-23 years) were examined and compared with muscle samples from 10 young cows (3-6 years old). Frozen sections were studied through standard histologic and histoenzymatic procedures, as well as by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Western blot analysis. The most prominent age-related myopathic features seen in the studied material included angular fiber atrophy (90% of cases), mitochondrial alterations (ragged red fibers, 70%; COX-negative fibers, 60%), presence of vacuolated fibers (75%), lymphocytic (predominantly CD8+) inflammation (40%), and type II selective fiber atrophy (40%). Immunohistochemistry revealed increased expression of major histocompatibility complex I in 36 cases (60%) and sarcoplasmic accumulations of β-amyloid precursor protein-positive material in 18 cases (30%). In aged cows, muscle atrophy was associated with accumulation of myostatin. Western blot analysis indicated increased amount of both proteins-myostatin and β-amyloid precursor protein-in muscles of aged animals compared with controls. These findings confirm the presence of age-related morphologic changes in cows similar to human sarcopenia and underline the possible role of amyloid deposition and subsequent inflammation in muscle senescence.
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Costagliola
authors: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Wojcik
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors: T B
authors: TB
authors: Pagano
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: De Biase
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Russo
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Iovane
authors: Azienda Sanitaria Locale, Salerno, Italy.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Grieco
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Papparella
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy paciello@unina.it.
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Paciello
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D055435:Myostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D055435:Myostatin
keywords: MHC I; aging; amyloid; cattle; muscle; myostatin; sarcopenia