Skeletal muscle wasting: the estrogen side of sexual dimorphism

The importance of defining sex differences across various biological and physiological mechanisms is more pervasive now than it has been over the past 15-20 years. As the muscle biology field pushes to identify small molecules and interventions to prevent, attenuate, or even reverse muscle wasting,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology 2022-01, Vol.322 (1), p.C24-C37
Main Authors: McMillin, Shawna L, Minchew, Everett C, Lowe, Dawn A, Spangenburg, Espen E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cachexia - metabolism
Cachexia - pathology
Estrogens
Estrogens - metabolism
Female
Gender differences
Hormones
Humans
Male
Molecular modelling
Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism
Muscle, Skeletal - pathology
Muscular Atrophy - metabolism
Muscular Atrophy - pathology
Musculoskeletal system
Receptors, Estrogen - metabolism
Sarcopenia - metabolism
Sarcopenia - pathology
Sex Characteristics
Sex differences
Sex hormones
Sexual dimorphism
Skeletal muscle
Theme
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Summary:The importance of defining sex differences across various biological and physiological mechanisms is more pervasive now than it has been over the past 15-20 years. As the muscle biology field pushes to identify small molecules and interventions to prevent, attenuate, or even reverse muscle wasting, we must consider the effect of sex as a biological variable. It should not be assumed that a therapeutic will affect males and females with equal efficacy or equivalent target affinities under conditions where muscle wasting is observed. With that said, it is not surprising to find that we have an unclear or even a poor understanding of the effects of sex or sex hormones on muscle wasting conditions. Although recent investigations are beginning to establish experimental approaches that will allow investigators to assess the impact of sex-specific hormones on muscle wasting, the field still needs rigorous scientific tools that will allow the community to address critical hypotheses centered around sex hormones. The focus of this review is on female sex hormones, specifically estrogens, and the roles that these hormones and their receptors play in skeletal muscle wasting conditions. With the overall review goal of assembling the current knowledge in the area of sexual dimorphism driven by estrogens with an effort to provide insights to interested physiologists on necessary considerations when trying to assess models for potential sex differences in cellular and molecular mechanisms of muscle wasting.
ISSN:0363-6143
1522-1563
DOI:10.1152/ajpcell.00333.2021