Mass Spectrometry-Based Multiomics Identifies Metabolic Signatures of Sarcopenia in Rhesus Monkey Skeletal Muscle

Sarcopenia is a progressive disorder characterized by
age-related
loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. Although significant progress
has been made over the years to identify the molecular determinants
of sarcopenia, the precise mechanisms underlying the age-related loss
of contractile function remains unclear. Advances in “omics”
technologies, including mass spectrometry-based proteomic and metabolomic
analyses, offer great opportunities to better understand sarcopenia.
Herein, we performed mass spectrometry-based analyses of the vastus
lateralis from young, middle-aged, and older rhesus monkeys to identify
molecular signatures of sarcopenia. In our proteomic analysis, we
identified proteins that change with age, including those involved
in adenosine triphosphate and adenosine monophosphate metabolism as
well as fatty acid beta oxidation. In our untargeted metabolomic analysis,
we identified metabolites that changed with age largely related to
energy metabolism including fatty acid beta oxidation. Pathway analysis
of age-responsive proteins and metabolites revealed changes in muscle
structure and contraction as well as lipid, carbohydrate, and purine
metabolism. Together, this study discovers new metabolic signatures
and offers new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying sarcopenia
for the evaluation and monitoring of a therapeutic treatment of sarcopenia.