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Improvement in muscular performance and decrease in tumor necrosis factor level in old age after antioxidant treatment

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Abstract

Aging-related loss of muscle function is a predictor of mortality and a surrogate parameter of the aging process. Its consequences include a high risk for falls, hip fractures, and loss of autonomy. Aging is associated with changes in the oxidant/antioxidant balance including a decrease in plasma thiol (cysteine) concentration. To assess the importance of cysteine, we determined in a double-blind study the effects of N-acetylcysteine on the functional capacity of frail geriatric patients and their response to physical exercise. The subjects on placebo showed only a relatively weak response, and 31% showed even a decrease in more than one parameter during the observation period. Low plasma arginine levels were correlated with a weak overall performance before exercise and a poor response to exercise. N-Acetylcysteine strongly enhanced the increase in knee extensor strength and significantly increased the sum of all strength parameters if adjusted for baseline arginine level as a confounding parameter. N-acetylcysteine had no significant effect on growth hormone and IGF-1 levels but caused a significant decrease in plasma TNF-α. These findings may provide a basis for therapeutic intervention and suggest that the loss of function involves limitations in cysteine and one or more other amino acids which may compromise muscular protein synthesis.

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Fig. 1.
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Fig. 3A–C.
Fig. 4a,b.

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Abbreviations

IGF::

Insulin-like growth factor

NAC::

N-Acetylcysteine

TNF::

Tumor necrosis factor

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Acknowledgements

The expert technical assistance of Mrs. U. Winter and Mr. H. Lips, and the assistance of Mrs. I. Fryson in the preparation of this manuscript are gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bethanien Krankenhaus, Geriatrisches Zentrum der Universität Heidelberg, Rohrbacher Strasse 149, 69126, Heidelberg, Germany

    Klaus Hauer, Yvonne Sehl & Peter Oster

  2. Division of Immunochemistry, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Wulf Hildebrandt, Yvonne Sehl & Wulf Dröge

  3. Biostatistics Unit, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Lutz Edler

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  1. Klaus Hauer
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  2. Wulf Hildebrandt
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  5. Peter Oster
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  6. Wulf Dröge
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Correspondence to Wulf Dröge.

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Hauer, K., Hildebrandt, W., Sehl, Y. et al. Improvement in muscular performance and decrease in tumor necrosis factor level in old age after antioxidant treatment. J Mol Med 81, 118–125 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00109-002-0406-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00109-002-0406-7

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