Novel Compound May Restore Aging Muscles

Key Points:

• A study from Kyushu University reveals that lipoic acid trisulfide (LASSS) prevents age-related nitration of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a key muscle repair signal, and transforms it into a “Super HGF” with over twice the normal binding affinity for its c-met receptor.
• In aged muscle, nitration at HGF residues Y198 and Y250 blocks its ability to activate satellite cells for muscle regeneration, contributing to muscle wasting and impaired repair.
• LASSS treatment in tail-suspended mouse models significantly reduced HGF nitration and preserved muscle repair signaling, whereas glutathione trisulfide (GSSSG) showed no protective effect.
• The enhanced “Super HGF” form induced by LASSS is resistant to nitration and may offer a novel therapeutic approach for sarcopenia, age-related muscle atrophy, and disuse conditions in humans and companion animals.
• This discovery suggests that LASSS interacts directly with HGF to induce structural changes beyond antioxidant effects, promoting muscle stem cell activation and potentially improving muscle health during aging.