OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of resveratrol on muscle mass, forelimb grip strength, myofibril structure and AMPK/sirt1 pathway in skeletal muscles of aged rats.

METHODSTwenty aged (25 months old) SD rats were randomly divided into aged control group and resveratrol treatment group (10 in each group) with 10 young (6 months old) rats served as the young control group. In resveratrol treatment group, the rats were treated with resveratrol (mixed in chow) for 6 weeks. After the treatment, the mass of the gastrocnemius was measured and the sarcopenia index (SI) was calculated as the gastrocnemius mass (mg) to body weight (g) ratio. The forelimb grip strength of the rats was measured using a electronic grip strength meter, and the lengths of the sarcomere, I-band, A-band and H-zone of the myofibrils were determined by transmission electron microscopy.

RESULTSCompared with the young rats, the aged control rats had significantly lower SI of the gastrocnemius (P<0.05) and grip strength (P<0.05) with increased lengths of the sarcomere, A-band, I-band and H-zone (P<0.05) and lowered expressions of AMPK, P-AMPK, and sirt1 protein (P<0.05). Resveratrol treatment of the aged rats significantly increased the forelimb grip strength, reduced the lengths of sarcomere length, I-band and H-zone (P<0.05) and increased, P-AMPK, sirt1 protein expressions (P<0.05) without significantly affecting the SI (P>0.05) or the A-band length (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONResveratrol does not improve the muscle mass but can increase the forelimb grip strength in aged rats possibly by activating AMPK/sirt1 pathway to improve the ultrastructure of the myofibrils.