Section 1

Molecular Mechanisms of Muscular Atrophy and Age-related Changes in Skeletal Muscle Structure and Function

**3**

**Chapter 1**

**Abstract**

An Update

Interventions with the latest updates.

**1. Introduction**

Molecular Mechanisms,

Therapeutic Targets and

*Vegi Ganga Modi Naidu and Nitika Gupta*

Pharmacological Interventions:

*Mohit Kwatra, Sahabuddin Ahmed, Samir Ranjan Panda,* 

Muscles are the enriched reservoir of proteins in the body. During any workout or exercise, the demand in the form of energy is essentially required by the muscle. Energy expenditure of skeletal muscle is more dependent on the type of demand. There is particular homeostasis within the body that avoid surplus energy expenditure and this prevents any muscle loss. Muscle atrophy is termed as the loss of skeletal muscle mass due to immobility, malnutrition, medications, aging, cancer cachexia, variety of injuries or diseases that impact the musculoskeletal or nervous system. Hence, atrophy within the skeletal muscle initiates further cause fatigue, pain, muscle weakness, and disability in human subjects. Therefore, starvation and reduced muscle mass further initiate numerous signaling pathways including inflammatory, antioxidant signaling, mitochondria bio-energetic failure, AMPactivated protein kinase (AMPK), Sirtuin 1(SIRT1), BDNF/TrkB/PKC, Autophagy, ubiquitin-proteasome systems, etc. Here, in this chapter, we will mention molecular mechanisms involved in therapeutic targets and available Pharmacological

**Keywords:** molecular mechanisms, therapeutic targets, pharmacological Interventions

Muscles are enormous protein reservoirs within the body. It is a profound source of various amino acids required for energy production used by various organs (such as brain, liver, heart) during energy demand and disease conditions (cancer, AIDS, burn, heart failure). However, extensive protein requirement does not consider good in case of cachexia which might lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Skeletal muscle is an organ with plastic characteristics and regulated by several signaling pathways that control cell and protein turnover. The skeletal muscle atrophy may be due to lower muscle mass, disease. However, disuse muscle mediated acute atrophy is reversed through exercise. Furthermore, chronic atrophy such as sarcopenia features as loss of muscle mass strength with age. Moreover, other chronic diseases such as diabetes or disease of muscles (muscle dystrophy) cause
