Chronic systemic curcumin administration antagonizes murine sarcopenia and presarcopenia

Curcumin administration attenuates muscle disuse atrophy, but its effectiveness against aging-induced, selective loss of mass or force (presarcopenia or asthenia/dynopenia), or combined loss (sarcopenia), remains controversial. A new systemic curcumin treatment was developed and tested in 18-month-old C57BL6J and C57BL10ScSn male mice. The effects on survival, liver toxicity, loss of muscle mass and force, and satellite cell responsivity and commitment were evaluated after 6-month treatment. Although only 24-month-old C57BL10ScSn mice displayed age-related muscle impairment, curcumin significantly increased survival of both strains (+20–35%), without signs of liver toxicity. Treatment prevented sarcopenia in soleus and presarcopenia in EDL of C57BL10ScSn mice, whereas it did not affect healthy-aged muscles of C57BL6J. Curcumin-treated old C57BL10ScSn soleus preserved type-1 myofiber size and increased type-2A one, whereas EDL maintained adult values of total myofiber number and fiber-type composition. Mechanistically, curcumin only partially prevented the age-related changes in protein level and subcellular distribution of major costamere components and regulators. Conversely, it affected satellite cells, by maintaining adult levels of myofiber maturation in old regenerating soleus and increasing percentage of isolated, MyoD-positive satellite cells from old hindlimb muscles. Therefore, curcumin treatment successfully prevents presarcopenia and sarcopenia development by improving satellite cell commitment and recruitment.