Abstract
Intestinal barrier dysfunction leads to microbial translocation (MT) and inflammation in vertebrate and invertebrate animal models. Age is recently recognized as a factor leading to MT, and in some human and animal model studies, MT was associated with physical function. We evaluated sarcopenia, inflammation, MT biomarkers, and muscle insulin sensitivity in healthy female vervet monkeys (6–27 years old). Monkeys were fed consistent diets and had large and varied environments to facilitate physical activity, and stable social conditions. Aging led to sarcopenia as indicated by reduced walking speeds and muscle mass, but general metabolic health was similar in older monkeys (n = 25) as compared to younger ones (n = 26). When older monkeys were physically active, their MT burden approximated that in young monkeys; however, when older monkeys were sedentary, MT burden was dramatically increased. MT levels were positively associated with inflammatory burden and negatively associated with skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity. Time spent being active was positively associated with insulin sensitivity as expected, but this relationship was specifically modified by the individual monkey’s MT, not inflammatory burden. Our data supports clinical observations that MT interacts with physical function as a factor in healthy aging.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Institute of Aging R21AG049160 (K.K), National Institutes of Health Office of the Director (P40OD010965 and T35OD010946 (K.K.), and Wake Forest School of Medicine.
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All study procedures were approved by and performed in accordance with the Wake Forest University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
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Kavanagh, K., Brown, R.N., Davis, A.T. et al. Microbial translocation and skeletal muscle in young and old vervet monkeys. AGE 38, 58 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-016-9924-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-016-9924-z