Molecular Mechanisms of Muscle Fatigue. 2021

Dumitru Constantin-Teodosiu, and Despina Constantin
Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.

Muscle fatigue (MF) declines the capacity of muscles to complete a task over time at a constant load. MF is usually short-lasting, reversible, and is experienced as a feeling of tiredness or lack of energy. The leading causes of short-lasting fatigue are related to overtraining, undertraining/deconditioning, or physical injury. Conversely, MF can be persistent and more serious when associated with pathological states or following chronic exposure to certain medication or toxic composites. In conjunction with chronic fatigue, the muscle feels floppy, and the force generated by muscles is always low, causing the individual to feel frail constantly. The leading cause underpinning the development of chronic fatigue is related to muscle wasting mediated by aging, immobilization, insulin resistance (through high-fat dietary intake or pharmacologically mediated Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR) agonism), diseases associated with systemic inflammation (arthritis, sepsis, infections, trauma, cardiovascular and respiratory disorders (heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD))), chronic kidney failure, muscle dystrophies, muscle myopathies, multiple sclerosis, and, more recently, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The primary outcome of displaying chronic muscle fatigue is a poor quality of life. This type of fatigue represents a significant daily challenge for those affected and for the national health authorities through the financial burden attached to patient support. Although the origin of chronic fatigue is multifactorial, the MF in illness conditions is intrinsically linked to the occurrence of muscle loss. The sequence of events leading to chronic fatigue can be schematically denoted as: trigger (genetic or pathological) -> molecular outcome within the muscle cell -> muscle wasting -> loss of muscle function -> occurrence of chronic muscle fatigue. The present review will only highlight and discuss current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the upregulation of muscle wasting, thereby helping us understand how we could prevent or treat this debilitating condition.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007333 Insulin Resistance Diminished effectiveness of INSULIN in lowering blood sugar levels: requiring the use of 200 units or more of insulin per day to prevent HYPERGLYCEMIA or KETOSIS. Insulin Sensitivity,Resistance, Insulin,Sensitivity, Insulin
D008247 Lysosomes A class of morphologically heterogeneous cytoplasmic particles in animal and plant tissues characterized by their content of hydrolytic enzymes and the structure-linked latency of these enzymes. The intracellular functions of lysosomes depend on their lytic potential. The single unit membrane of the lysosome acts as a barrier between the enzymes enclosed in the lysosome and the external substrate. The activity of the enzymes contained in lysosomes is limited or nil unless the vesicle in which they are enclosed is ruptured or undergoes MEMBRANE FUSION. (From Rieger et al., Glossary of Genetics: Classical and Molecular, 5th ed). Autolysosome,Autolysosomes,Lysosome
D009124 Muscle Proteins The protein constituents of muscle, the major ones being ACTINS and MYOSINS. More than a dozen accessory proteins exist including TROPONIN; TROPOMYOSIN; and DYSTROPHIN. Muscle Protein,Protein, Muscle,Proteins, Muscle
D009133 Muscular Atrophy Derangement in size and number of muscle fibers occurring with aging, reduction in blood supply, or following immobilization, prolonged weightlessness, malnutrition, and particularly in denervation. Atrophy, Muscle,Neurogenic Muscular Atrophy,Neurotrophic Muscular Atrophy,Atrophies, Muscle,Atrophies, Muscular,Atrophies, Neurogenic Muscular,Atrophies, Neurotrophic Muscular,Atrophy, Muscular,Atrophy, Neurogenic Muscular,Atrophy, Neurotrophic Muscular,Muscle Atrophies,Muscle Atrophy,Muscular Atrophies,Muscular Atrophies, Neurogenic,Muscular Atrophies, Neurotrophic,Muscular Atrophy, Neurogenic,Muscular Atrophy, Neurotrophic,Neurogenic Muscular Atrophies,Neurotrophic Muscular Atrophies
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000086382 COVID-19 A viral disorder generally characterized by high FEVER; COUGH; DYSPNEA; CHILLS; PERSISTENT TREMOR; MUSCLE PAIN; HEADACHE; SORE THROAT; a new loss of taste and/or smell (see AGEUSIA and ANOSMIA) and other symptoms of a VIRAL PNEUMONIA. In severe cases, a myriad of coagulopathy associated symptoms often correlating with COVID-19 severity is seen (e.g., BLOOD COAGULATION; THROMBOSIS; ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME; SEIZURES; HEART ATTACK; STROKE; multiple CEREBRAL INFARCTIONS; KIDNEY FAILURE; catastrophic ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODY SYNDROME and/or DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION). In younger patients, rare inflammatory syndromes are sometimes associated with COVID-19 (e.g., atypical KAWASAKI SYNDROME; TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME; pediatric multisystem inflammatory disease; and CYTOKINE STORM SYNDROME). A coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, in the genus BETACORONAVIRUS is the causative agent. 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease,2019 Novel Coronavirus Infection,2019-nCoV Disease,2019-nCoV Infection,COVID-19 Pandemic,COVID-19 Pandemics,COVID-19 Virus Disease,COVID-19 Virus Infection,Coronavirus Disease 2019,Coronavirus Disease-19,SARS Coronavirus 2 Infection,SARS-CoV-2 Infection,Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection,COVID19,2019 nCoV Disease,2019 nCoV Infection,2019-nCoV Diseases,2019-nCoV Infections,COVID 19,COVID 19 Pandemic,COVID 19 Virus Disease,COVID 19 Virus Infection,COVID-19 Virus Diseases,COVID-19 Virus Infections,Coronavirus Disease 19,Disease 2019, Coronavirus,Disease, 2019-nCoV,Disease, COVID-19 Virus,Infection, 2019-nCoV,Infection, COVID-19 Virus,Infection, SARS-CoV-2,Pandemic, COVID-19,SARS CoV 2 Infection,SARS-CoV-2 Infections,Virus Disease, COVID-19,Virus Infection, COVID-19
D001343 Autophagy The segregation and degradation of various cytoplasmic constituents via engulfment by MULTIVESICULAR BODIES; VACUOLES; or AUTOPHAGOSOMES and their digestion by LYSOSOMES. It plays an important role in BIOLOGICAL METAMORPHOSIS and in the removal of bone by OSTEOCLASTS. Defective autophagy is associated with various diseases, including NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES and cancer. Autophagocytosis,ER-Phagy,Lipophagy,Nucleophagy,Reticulophagy,Ribophagy,Autophagy, Cellular,Cellular Autophagy,ER Phagy
D016638 Critical Illness A disease or state in which death is possible or imminent. Critically Ill,Critical Illnesses,Illness, Critical,Illnesses, Critical
D055948 Sarcopenia Progressive decline in muscle mass due to aging which results in decreased functional capacity of muscles. Sarcopenias
D018482 Muscle, Skeletal A subtype of striated muscle, attached by TENDONS to the SKELETON. Skeletal muscles are innervated and their movement can be consciously controlled. They are also called voluntary muscles. Anterior Tibial Muscle,Gastrocnemius Muscle,Muscle, Voluntary,Plantaris Muscle,Skeletal Muscle,Soleus Muscle,Muscle, Anterior Tibial,Muscle, Gastrocnemius,Muscle, Plantaris,Muscle, Soleus,Muscles, Skeletal,Muscles, Voluntary,Skeletal Muscles,Tibial Muscle, Anterior,Voluntary Muscle,Voluntary Muscles

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