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Comparative Study
. 2024 Apr 29;14(1):9798.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-59884-w.

Comparing the efficacy of concomitant treatment of resistance exercise and creatine monohydrate versus multiple individual therapies in age related sarcopenia

Eman I Elgizawy  1 , Ghada S Amer  2 , Eman A Ali  3 , Fatma S Alqalashy  4 , Marwa M Ibrahim  5 , Asmaa A Abdel Latif  6 , Anwar M Shaban  2
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Comparing the efficacy of concomitant treatment of resistance exercise and creatine monohydrate versus multiple individual therapies in age related sarcopenia

Eman I Elgizawy et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Aging-related sarcopenia is a degenerative loss of strength and skeletal muscle mass that impairs quality of life. Evaluating NUDT3 gene and myogenin expression as new diagnostic tools in sarcopenia. Also, comparing the concomitant treatment of resistance exercise (EX) and creatine monohydrate (CrM) versus single therapy by EX, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and CrM using aged rats. Sixty male rats were equally divided into groups. The control group, aging group, EX-treated group, the CoQ10 group were administered (500 mg/kg) of CoQ10, the CrM group supplied (0.3 mg/kg of CrM), and a group of CrM concomitant with resistance exercise. Serum lipid profiles, certain antioxidant markers, electromyography (EMG), nudix hydrolase 3 (NUDT3) expression, creatine kinase (CK), and sarcopenic index markers were measured after 12 weeks. The gastrocnemius muscle was stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and myogenin. The EX-CrM combination showed significant improvement in serum lipid profile, antioxidant markers, EMG, NUDT3 gene, myogenin expression, CK, and sarcopenic index markers from other groups. The NUDT3 gene and myogenin expression have proven efficient as diagnostic tools for sarcopenia. Concomitant treatment of CrM and EX is preferable to individual therapy because it reduces inflammation, improves the lipid serum profile, promotes muscle regeneration, and thus has the potential to improve sarcopenia.

Keywords: Aged rats; Coenzyme Q 10; Creatine monohydrate; Exercise; Oxidative stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effect of EX-CrM combined treatment ameliorating effect on aging altered oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (a) Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) level. (b) Serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) level. (c) Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) level. Data were expressed as mean ± SD and analyzed by Kruskal–Wallis, followed by Tamhane’s T2 test (n = 10). *P < 0.05 versus the CTR group; # P < 0.05 versus the aged group; $ P < 0.05 versus the EX-treated group; % P < 0.05 versus the CoQ10-treated group; and @ P < 0.05 versus the CrM-treated group.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effects of EX, CoQ10, CrM, and EX-CrM treatment on serum CK levels and on the NUDT3 gene in studied groups. (a) Serum creatine kinase (CK) level. (b) NUDT3 expression in skeletal muscle. Data were expressed as mean ± SD and analyzed by Kruskal–Wallis, followed by Tamhane’s T2 test (n = 10). *P < 0.05 versus the CTR group; # P < 0.05 versus the aged group; $ P < 0.05 versus the EX-treated group.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The effect of EX, CoQ10, CrM, and EX-CrM on sarcopenia risk score parameters in aged rats. (a) Serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) level. (b) Serum secreted protein acidic rich in cysteine (SPARC) level. (c) Serum macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) level. (d) serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) level. (e) Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the sarcopenia risk score. Data were expressed as mean ± SD and analyzed by Kruskal–Wallis, followed by Tamhane’s T2 test (n = 10). *P < 0.05 versus the CTR group; # P < 0.05 versus the aged group; $ P < 0.05 versus the EX-treated group; % P < 0.05 versus the CoQ10-treated group; and @ P < 0.05 versus the CrM-treated group.
Figure 4
Figure 4
H&E-stained sections (a) The CTR group exhibited a normal histological microscopic picture of skeletal muscle in syncytia with multiple eccentric nuclei and cross striations (original magnification ×40). (b) Fibrous tissue (black arrow) extending broadly between skeletal muscle fibers showed a decreased number of nuclei (muscle mass) with adipose tissue (blue arrow) in the aged group (original magnification ×40). (c) The EX-treated group showed fibrous tissue (black arrow) together with chronic inflammation (blue arrow) and chronic inflammation in between muscle fibers (original magnification ×40). (d) The CoQ10-treated group showed slight chronic inflammation and larger muscle mass (increased nuclei number) than the aged group (original magnification ×40). (e) The CrM-treated group started to have suspected regeneration by the appearance of multiple myoblast-looking cells (cells with single round nuclei, red circles) (original magnification ×40). (f) The EX-CrM-treated group featured a histologic appearance almost like the control group's skeletal muscle fibers (original magnification ×40).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Myogenin immunostaining. (a) Focal myogenin nuclear expression (×400) in the CTR group. (b) Negative myogenin expression in the aged group (×200). (c) Mild nuclear myogenin expression in the EX-treated group (×200). (d) Myogenin nuclear expression demonstrated stimulated early muscle differentiation (myoblasts) in the CoQ10-treated group (×200). (e) The crM-treated group showed moderate to strong myogenin immunoexpression (×400). (f) Highest Myogenin nuclear expression in the EX-CrM-treated group (×400).
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