Motor Unit Fatigability following Chronic Carnosine Supplementation in Aged Rats.

Łochyński D, Pawlak M, Everaert I, Podgórski T, Gartych M, Borucka AM, Celichowski J, Derave W, Kaczmarek D

Nutrients25 Jan 2022Cited by 3 (Europe PMC)

PMID35276873PMCIDPMC8839880DOI10.3390/nu14030514PepBankPUB-35276873

Summary

Studies suggest that carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) is effective in treating neuromuscular diseases associated with aging, but there is still a need to clarify its role in motor units (MUs) function during aging. In this study, 40 male Wistar rats aged 15 months were randomly assigned to a control or to two experimental groups in which 0.1% carnosine supplementation was performed for 10 or 34 weeks. After 34 weeks, we examined fast fatigable (FF), fast fatigue-resistant (FR) and slow (S) MUs' force properties and fatigability, as well as antioxidant potential, advanced glycation end products, activity of enzymes, and histidyl dipeptides content in the medial gastrocnemius muscle. Short- and long-term carnosine supplementation maintained the force of FF MUs at a higher level during its rapid decline seen from the initial 10 to 70 s of the fatigue test. In FF, especially long-term, and in FR MUs, especially short-term, carnosine supplementation resulted in less rapid force decline during the initial 70 s of the second fatigue protocol. Carnosine supplementation did not change muscle antioxidant potential and mortality rate (~35% in all groups), nor muscle mass with aging. Moreover, instead of the expected increase, a decrease in histidyl dipeptides by ~30% in the red portion of medial gastrocnemius muscle after long-term supplementation was found. After chronic carnosine supplementation, the specific changes in fatigue resistance were observed in FF and FR units, but not in S MU types that were not accompanied by an improvement of antioxidant potential and activity of glycolytic or oxidative enzymes in aged rats. These observations indicate that carnosine supplementation during aging may generate different physiological adaptations which should be considered as an important factor when planning treatment strategies.

CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study11

11 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In aged rats, short-term carnosine maintained fast fatigable motor unit force at a higher level during the initial fatigue test.
In plain wordsIn aged rats, short-term carnosine maintained higher fast fatigable motor unit force during the first fatigue test compared with controls.
Peptide
L-carnosine
Outcome
IncreaseFast fatigable motor unit force during first fatigue test
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Aged male Wistar rats
Comparator
Control
Outcome group
Exercise and physical function · Musculoskeletal
Studied dose
0.1% · 10 weeksAs given in this study (rat).
Source sentences
Summary
Short- and long-term carnosine supplementation maintained the force of FF MUs at a higher level during its rapid decline seen from the initial 10 to 70 s of the fatigue test.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In this study, 40 male Wistar rats aged 15 months were randomly assigned to a control or to two experimental groups in which 0.1% carnosine supplementation was performed for 10 or 34 weeks.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3527687301
02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In aged rats, long-term carnosine maintained fast fatigable motor unit force at a higher level during the initial fatigue test.
In plain wordsIn aged rats, long-term carnosine maintained higher fast fatigable motor unit force during the first fatigue test compared with controls.
Peptide
L-carnosine
Outcome
IncreaseFast fatigable motor unit force during first fatigue test
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Aged male Wistar rats
Comparator
Control
Outcome group
Exercise and physical function · Musculoskeletal
Studied dose
0.1% · 34 weeksAs given in this study (rat).
Source sentences
Summary
Short- and long-term carnosine supplementation maintained the force of FF MUs at a higher level during its rapid decline seen from the initial 10 to 70 s of the fatigue test.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In this study, 40 male Wistar rats aged 15 months were randomly assigned to a control or to two experimental groups in which 0.1% carnosine supplementation was performed for 10 or 34 weeks.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3527687302
03AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In aged rats, carnosine slowed fast fatigable motor unit force decline during the second fatigue protocol, especially with long-term supplementation.
In plain wordsIn aged rats, carnosine slowed fast fatigable motor unit force loss compared with controls, especially with long-term supplementation.
Peptide
L-carnosine
Outcome
DecreaseFast fatigable motor unit force decline during second fatigue protocol
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Aged male Wistar rats
Comparator
Control
Outcome group
Exercise and physical function · Musculoskeletal
Studied dose
0.1% · 10 or 34 weeksAs given in this study (rat).
Source sentences
Summary
In FF, especially long-term, and in FR MUs, especially short-term, carnosine supplementation resulted in less rapid force decline during the initial 70 s of the second fatigue protocol.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In this study, 40 male Wistar rats aged 15 months were randomly assigned to a control or to two experimental groups in which 0.1% carnosine supplementation was performed for 10 or 34 weeks.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3527687303
04AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In aged rats, carnosine slowed fast fatigue-resistant motor unit force decline during the second fatigue protocol, especially with short-term supplementation.
In plain wordsIn aged rats, carnosine slowed fast fatigue-resistant motor unit force loss compared with controls, especially with short-term supplementation.
Peptide
L-carnosine
Outcome
DecreaseFast fatigue-resistant motor unit force decline during second fatigue protocol
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Aged male Wistar rats
Comparator
Control
Outcome group
Exercise and physical function · Musculoskeletal
Studied dose
0.1% · 10 or 34 weeksAs given in this study (rat).
Source sentences
Summary
In FF, especially long-term, and in FR MUs, especially short-term, carnosine supplementation resulted in less rapid force decline during the initial 70 s of the second fatigue protocol.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In this study, 40 male Wistar rats aged 15 months were randomly assigned to a control or to two experimental groups in which 0.1% carnosine supplementation was performed for 10 or 34 weeks.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3527687304
05AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In aged rats, carnosine did not change muscle antioxidant potential.
In plain wordsIn aged rats, carnosine did not change muscle antioxidant potential compared with controls.
Peptide
L-carnosine
Outcome
No significant changeMuscle antioxidant potential
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Aged male Wistar rats
Comparator
Control
Outcome group
Oxidative stress · Musculoskeletal
Studied dose
0.1%As given in this study (rat).
Source sentences
Summary
Carnosine supplementation did not change muscle antioxidant potential and mortality rate (~35% in all groups), nor muscle mass with aging.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In this study, 40 male Wistar rats aged 15 months were randomly assigned to a control or to two experimental groups in which 0.1% carnosine supplementation was performed for 10 or 34 weeks.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3527687305
06AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Safety outcome
In aged rats, carnosine did not change mortality, which was approximately 35% in all groups.
In plain wordsIn aged rats, carnosine did not change mortality compared with controls, with approximately 35% mortality in all groups.
Peptide
L-carnosine
Outcome
No significant changeMortality rate
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Aged male Wistar rats
Comparator
Control
Outcome group
Mortality · Whole body
Studied dose
0.1%As given in this study (rat).
Source sentences
Summary
Carnosine supplementation did not change muscle antioxidant potential and mortality rate (~35% in all groups), nor muscle mass with aging.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In this study, 40 male Wistar rats aged 15 months were randomly assigned to a control or to two experimental groups in which 0.1% carnosine supplementation was performed for 10 or 34 weeks.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3527687306
07AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In aged rats, carnosine did not change muscle mass with aging.
In plain wordsIn aged rats, carnosine did not change muscle mass with aging compared with controls.
Peptide
L-carnosine
Outcome
No significant changeMuscle mass
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Aged male Wistar rats
Comparator
Control
Outcome group
Muscle injury and repair · Musculoskeletal
Studied dose
0.1%As given in this study (rat).
Source sentences
Summary
Carnosine supplementation did not change muscle antioxidant potential and mortality rate (~35% in all groups), nor muscle mass with aging.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In this study, 40 male Wistar rats aged 15 months were randomly assigned to a control or to two experimental groups in which 0.1% carnosine supplementation was performed for 10 or 34 weeks.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3527687307
08AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In aged rats, long-term carnosine reduced histidyl dipeptides by approximately 30% in the red medial gastrocnemius.
In plain wordsIn aged rats, long-term carnosine reduced histidyl dipeptides in the red medial gastrocnemius by approximately 30% compared with controls.
Peptide
L-carnosine
Outcome
DecreaseMuscle histidyl dipeptides
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Aged male Wistar rats
Comparator
Control
Outcome group
Receptor activity and mechanism · Musculoskeletal
Studied dose
0.1% · 34 weeksAs given in this study (rat).
Source sentences
Summary
Moreover, instead of the expected increase, a decrease in histidyl dipeptides by ~30% in the red portion of medial gastrocnemius muscle after long-term supplementation was found.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In this study, 40 male Wistar rats aged 15 months were randomly assigned to a control or to two experimental groups in which 0.1% carnosine supplementation was performed for 10 or 34 weeks.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3527687308
09AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In aged rats, chronic carnosine did not produce the fatigue resistance changes seen in fast units in slow motor units.
In plain wordsIn aged rats, carnosine did not change slow motor unit fatigue resistance compared with controls.
Peptide
L-carnosine
Outcome
No significant changeSlow motor unit fatigue resistance
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Aged male Wistar rats
Comparator
Control
Outcome group
Exercise and physical function · Musculoskeletal
Studied dose
0.1%As given in this study (rat).
Source sentences
Summary
After chronic carnosine supplementation, the specific changes in fatigue resistance were observed in FF and FR units, but not in S MU types that were not accompanied by an improvement of antioxidant potential and activity of glycolytic or oxidative enzymes in aged rats.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In this study, 40 male Wistar rats aged 15 months were randomly assigned to a control or to two experimental groups in which 0.1% carnosine supplementation was performed for 10 or 34 weeks.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3527687309
10AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In aged rats, chronic carnosine did not improve glycolytic enzyme activity.
In plain wordsIn aged rats, carnosine did not improve glycolytic enzyme activity compared with controls.
Peptide
L-carnosine
Outcome
Direction not reportedGlycolytic enzyme activity
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Aged male Wistar rats
Comparator
Control
Outcome group
Receptor activity and mechanism · Musculoskeletal
Studied dose
0.1%As given in this study (rat).
Source sentences
Summary
After chronic carnosine supplementation, the specific changes in fatigue resistance were observed in FF and FR units, but not in S MU types that were not accompanied by an improvement of antioxidant potential and activity of glycolytic or oxidative enzymes in aged rats.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In this study, 40 male Wistar rats aged 15 months were randomly assigned to a control or to two experimental groups in which 0.1% carnosine supplementation was performed for 10 or 34 weeks.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3527687310
11AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In aged rats, chronic carnosine did not improve oxidative enzyme activity.
In plain wordsIn aged rats, carnosine did not improve oxidative enzyme activity compared with controls.
Peptide
L-carnosine
Outcome
Direction not reportedOxidative enzyme activity
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Aged male Wistar rats
Comparator
Control
Outcome group
Receptor activity and mechanism · Musculoskeletal
Studied dose
0.1%As given in this study (rat).
Source sentences
Summary
After chronic carnosine supplementation, the specific changes in fatigue resistance were observed in FF and FR units, but not in S MU types that were not accompanied by an improvement of antioxidant potential and activity of glycolytic or oxidative enzymes in aged rats.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In this study, 40 male Wistar rats aged 15 months were randomly assigned to a control or to two experimental groups in which 0.1% carnosine supplementation was performed for 10 or 34 weeks.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3527687311

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

Version 2Current
27 Oct 2026, 18:20 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
27 Oct 2026, 16:32 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

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