Muscle Inflammaging: The NLRP3 Inflammasome Contributes to Sarcopenia

Abstract

Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of muscle mass and deterioration of muscle function during aging. This can affect quality of life and ability to perform daily tasks. During aging, muscles become weaker, slower, and have a reduced ability to generate energy quickly through glycolysis. It is unclear why this happens, but chronic inflammation during aging may contribute to these aspects of sarcopenia. NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) increases caspase-1 activity, which is a part of the immune system involved in multiple age-associated diseases. We determined the role of NLRP3 in sarcopenia using adult and old mice.