More than Meat and a Motor: The Diverse Biomechanical Roles of Skeletal Muscle and Their Place in ‘Semi-Living’ Machines

Leonardo ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-177
Author(s):  
Jonas Rubenson
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Hydrodynamic Forces ◽  
The Body ◽  
Tendon Tissue ◽  
Philosophical Debate ◽  
Shock Absorbers ◽  
Machine Systems ◽  
Biological Motor

The biomechanical roles of skeletal muscle and their tendons are diverse. Perhaps most intuitively, muscle is regarded as a biological ‘motor’ that provides the work required for accelerating the body and overcoming aero- and hydrodynamic forces. With detailed biomechanical analyses, more intricate roles of the muscle-tendon unit have been uncovered, ranging from energy recyclers, to shock absorbers and capacitors. The functional scope of muscle-tendon tissue makes it an attractive choice for exploring bio-machine integration. Research and cross-disciplinary collaboration at SymbioticA offers a testbed for scientific and artistic exploration into engineered muscle-tendon constructs and the broader philosophical debate surrounding their place in ‘semi-living’ machine systems.

scholarly journals Mitochondrial Dysfunction Is a Common Denominator Linking Skeletal Muscle Wasting Due to Disease, Aging, and Prolonged Inactivity

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 588
Author(s):  
Hayden W. Hyatt ◽  
Scott K. Powers
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Mitochondrial Dysfunction ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Muscle Mass ◽  
Cancer Chemotherapy ◽  
Muscle Wasting ◽  
The Body ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Skeletal Muscle Wasting ◽  
Vital Functions

Skeletal muscle is the most abundant tissue in the body and is required for numerous vital functions, including breathing and locomotion. Notably, deterioration of skeletal muscle mass is also highly correlated to mortality in patients suffering from chronic diseases (e.g., cancer). Numerous conditions can promote skeletal muscle wasting, including several chronic diseases, cancer chemotherapy, aging, and prolonged inactivity. Although the mechanisms responsible for this loss of muscle mass is multifactorial, mitochondrial dysfunction is predicted to be a major contributor to muscle wasting in various conditions. This systematic review will highlight the biochemical pathways that have been shown to link mitochondrial dysfunction to skeletal muscle wasting. Importantly, we will discuss the experimental evidence that connects mitochondrial dysfunction to muscle wasting in specific diseases (i.e., cancer and sepsis), aging, cancer chemotherapy, and prolonged muscle inactivity (e.g., limb immobilization). Finally, in hopes of stimulating future research, we conclude with a discussion of important future directions for research in the field of muscle wasting.

scholarly journals Skeletal Muscle Metabolism: Origin or Prognostic Factor for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Development?

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1449
Author(s):  
Cyril Quessada ◽  
Alexandra Bouscary ◽  
Frédérique René ◽  
Cristiana Valle ◽  
Alberto Ferri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Muscle Metabolism ◽  
The Body ◽  
Energy Deficit ◽  
Acid Oxidation ◽  
Progression Of Disease ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive and selective loss of motor neurons, amyotrophy and skeletal muscle paralysis usually leading to death due to respiratory failure. While generally considered an intrinsic motor neuron disease, data obtained in recent years, including our own, suggest that motor neuron protection is not sufficient to counter the disease. The dismantling of the neuromuscular junction is closely linked to chronic energy deficit found throughout the body. Metabolic (hypermetabolism and dyslipidemia) and mitochondrial alterations described in patients and murine models of ALS are associated with the development and progression of disease pathology and they appear long before motor neurons die. It is clear that these metabolic changes participate in the pathology of the disease. In this review, we summarize these changes seen throughout the course of the disease, and the subsequent impact of glucose–fatty acid oxidation imbalance on disease progression. We also highlight studies that show that correcting this loss of metabolic flexibility should now be considered a major goal for the treatment of ALS.

scholarly journals Biochemical approaches for nutritional support of skeletal muscle protein metabolism during sepsis

2004 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas C. Vary ◽  
Christopher J. Lynch
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Metabolic Response ◽  
Muscle Protein ◽  
The Body ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Skeletal Muscle Protein ◽  
Catabolic State ◽  
N Metabolism ◽  
Induced Defects

Sepsis initiates a unique series of modifications in the homeostasis of N metabolism and profoundly alters the integration of inter-organ cooperatively in the overall N and energy economy of the host. The net effect of these alterations is an overall N catabolic state, which seriously compromises recovery and is semi-refractory to treatment with current therapies. These alterations lead to a functional redistribution of N (amino acids and proteins) and substrate metabolism among injured tissues and major body organs. The redistribution of amino acids and proteins results in a quantitative reordering of the usual pathways of C and N flow within and among regions of the body with a resultant depletion of the required substrates and cofactors in important organs. The metabolic response to sepsis is a highly integrated, complex series of reactions. To understand the regulation of the response to sepsis, a comprehensive, integrated analysis of the fundamental physiological relationships of key metabolic pathways and mechanisms in sepsis is essential. The catabolism of skeletal muscles, which is manifested by an increase in protein degradation and a decrease in synthesis, persists despite state-of-the-art nutritional care. Much effort has focused on the modulation of the overall amount of nutrients given to septic patients in a hope to improve efficiencies in utilisation and N economies, rather than the support of specific end-organ targets. The present review examines current understanding of the processes affected by sepsis and testable means to circumvent the sepsis-induced defects in protein synthesis in skeletal muscle through increasing provision of amino acids (leucine, glutamine, or arginine) that in turn act as nutrient signals to regulate a number of cellular processes.

Change in skeletal muscle index and its prognostic significance in conversion therapy for initially unresectable colorectal cancer.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 56-56
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Nozawa ◽  
Shigenobu Emoto ◽  
Koji Murono ◽  
Yasutaka Shuno ◽  
Soichiro Ishihara
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Muscle Mass ◽  
Skeletal Muscles ◽  
Systemic Chemotherapy ◽  
Stage Iv ◽  
The Body ◽  
Pharmacological Intervention ◽  
Conversion Therapy ◽  
Skeletal Muscle Index

56 Background: Systemic chemotherapy can cause loss of skeletal muscle mass in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in the neoadjuvant and palliative settings. However, it is largely unknown how the body composition is changed by chemotherapy rendering unresectable CRC to resectable disease or how it affects the prognosis. This study aimed at elucidating the effects of systemic chemotherapy on skeletal muscles and survival in stage IV CRC patients who underwent conversion therapy. Methods: We reviewed 98 stage IV CRC patients who received systemic chemotherapy in our hospital. According to the treatment setting, patients were divided into the ‘Conversion’, ‘Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC)’, and ‘Palliation’ groups. The cross-sectional area of skeletal muscles at the third lumbar level and changes in the skeletal muscle index (SMI), defined as the area divided by height squared, during chemotherapy were compared among patient groups. The effects of these parameters on prognosis were analyzed in the Conversion group. Results: The mean SMI increased by 8.0% during chemotherapy in the Conversion group (n = 38), whereas it decreased by 6.2% in the NAC group (n = 18) and 3.7% in the Palliation group (n = 42, p < 0.0001). Moreover, patients with increased SMI during chemotherapy had a better overall survival (OS) than those whose SMI decreased in the Conversion group (p = 0.021). The increase in SMI was an independent predictor of favorable OS on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio: 0.26). Conclusions: Stage IV CRC patients who underwent conversion to resection often had an increased SMI. As such an increase in SMI further conveys a survival benefit in conversion therapy, it may be important to make efforts to preserve muscle mass by meticulous approaches, such as nutritional support, muscle exercise programs, and pharmacological intervention even during chemotherapy in patients with metastatic CRC.

The Ligamentary System and the Segmental Musculature of Nephtys

1960 ◽  
Vol s3-101 (54) ◽  
pp. 149-176
Author(s):  
R. B. CLARK ◽  
M. E. CLARK
Keyword(s):  
Body Wall ◽  
The Body ◽  
Power Stroke ◽  
Coelomic Fluid ◽  
Unusual Structure ◽  
Shock Absorbers ◽  
Proximal Half ◽  
Unique System ◽  
Body Wall Muscles ◽  
The Impact

Nephtys lacks circular body-wall muscles. The chief antagonists of the longitudinal muscles are the dorso-ventral muscles of the intersegmental body-wall. The worm is restrained from widening when either set of muscles contracts by the combined influence of the ligaments, some of the extrinsic parapodial muscles, and possibly, to a limited extent, by the septal muscles. Although the septa are incomplete, they can and do form a barrier to the transmission of coelomic fluid from one segment to the next under certain conditions, particularly during eversion of the proboscis. Swimming is by undulatory movements of the body but the distal part of the parapodia execute a power-stroke produced chiefly by the contraction of the acicular muscles. It is suspected that the extrinsic parapodial muscles, all of which are inserted in the proximal half of the parapodium, serve to anchor the parapodial wall at the insertion of the acicular muscles and help to provide a rigid point of insertion for them. Burrowing is a cyclical process involving the violent eversion of the proboscis which makes a cavity in the sand. The worm is prevented from slipping backwards by the grip the widest segments have on the sides of the burrow. The proboscis is retracted and the worm crawls forward into the cavity it has made. The cycle is then repeated. Nephtys possesses a unique system of elastic ligaments of unusual structure. The anatomy of the system is described. The function of the ligaments appears to be to restrain the body-wall and parapodia from unnecessary and disadvantageous dilatations during changes of body-shape, and to serve as shock-absorbers against the high, transient, fluid pressures in the coelom, which are thought to accompany the impact of the proboscis against the sand when the worm is burrowing. From what is known of its habits, Nephtys is likely to undertake more burrowing than most other polychaetes.

scholarly journals Recent advances in understanding the role of FOXO3

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renae J. Stefanetti ◽  
Sarah Voisin ◽  
Aaron Russell ◽  
Séverine Lamon
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Protein Turnover ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
The Body ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Forkhead Box ◽  
Protein Pool

The forkhead box O3 (FOXO3, or FKHRL1) protein is a member of the FOXO subclass of transcription factors. FOXO proteins were originally identified as regulators of insulin-related genes; however, they are now established regulators of genes involved in vital biological processes, including substrate metabolism, protein turnover, cell survival, and cell death. FOXO3 is one of the rare genes that have been consistently linked to longevity in in vivo models. This review provides an update of the most recent research pertaining to the role of FOXO3 in (i) the regulation of protein turnover in skeletal muscle, the largest protein pool of the body, and (ii) the genetic basis of longevity. Finally, it examines (iii) the role of microRNAs in the regulation of FOXO3 and its impact on the regulation of the cell cycle.

scholarly journals PO-055 Changes of trace elements in skeletal muscle and serum of rats after exercise-induced injury

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingyun Liu ◽  
Qun Zuo
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Trace Elements ◽  
Nitric Acid ◽  
Vena Cava ◽  
The Body ◽  
Emission Spectrometry ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Exercise Induced ◽  
And Control ◽  
Cu And Zn

Objective This study is to investigate the changes of trace elements (Cu, Fe, Zn, Se, Mg) in serum and skeletal muscle of rats after skeletal muscle injury induced by downhill running, and to find out the change regularity of trace elements in the body after exercise injury. To provide experimental basis for how to use trace elements supplements reasonably. Methods Fifty-four healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into two groups: control group (C, N=6) and exercise group (E, N=48, include: 0 h group, 6 h group, 12 h group, 24 h group, 48 h group, 72 h group, 1- week group and 2- week group). The rats in exercise groups run down a 16°incline at 16m/min for 90 minutes. At the end of the exercise, the rats were killed at 0 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 1 week and 2 weeks, respectively. The serum was got from the inferior vena cava blood and diluted by 1% nitric acid. The muscle was got from the right side of the rat's sural which were digested by concentrated nitric acid and 30% hydrogen peroxide in 75℃water bath for 20mins. The content of trace elements in muscle and serum were measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-MS). All the data are analyzed and processed by SPSS22.0 statistical software. Results (1) The contents of trace elements in serum showed: Cu, Zn, Mg, Se decreased immediately after exercise, but the Cu still increased to reach a peak at 24h after decreasing, and after 2 weeks the content of Cu was slightly lower than pre-exercise level. However, the content of Zn did not elevate again, it continued declined to the lowest at 24h which was significantly lower than control group (P < 0.05). And after 2 weeks, Zn did not return to the pre-exercise level. The changes of Mg, Se in serum was not statistically significant. There is no difference between 0h and control groups in content of Fe, after that Fe decreased continually and appeared the least value at 24h, the differences between immediate group and control group were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Fe returned to the pre-exercise level after 2 weeks. (2) The contents of trace elements in muscle showed: Most of trace elements increased to the maximum level at 6 h, after that Mg, Fe, Cu decreased to the lowest value at 72 h which were significant lower than 0h group or 6h group (P < 0. 05). ALL the trace elements were lower than pre-exercise level. There was no statistical difference in the content of Se in muscle. Conclusions (1) The different changes of trace elements in skeletal muscle and serum after exercise injury may be due to the redistribution of trace elements caused by the body adaptability. (2) The most obviously changes of trace element in serum and muscle are Cu and Zn. Both of them did not return to the pre-exercise level after 2 weeks, it suggests that the supplement include Cu and Zn may play an important role in recovering after exercise-induced injury.

scholarly journals The physiology of ketosis and the ketogenic diet

2020 ◽  
pp. S94-S97
Author(s):  
TGA Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Ketogenic Diet ◽  
The Body ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fuel Source

Ketones are an important fuel source for the body during periods of starvation and are readily used by the brain, the heart, and skeletal muscle. Ketones may also be produced in response to certain diets. Interest in the use of a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates in order to induce a state of ketosis has increased in recent years. This review will cover the physiology of ketosis and examine the effects of the ketogenic diet.

scholarly journals Hydrodynamic Analysis for the Morphing Median Fins of Tuna during Yaw Motions

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Xiaohu Li
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Method ◽  
Hydrodynamic Forces ◽  
The Body ◽  
Robotic Fish ◽  
Hydrodynamic Performance ◽  
Hydrodynamic Analysis ◽  
Dorsal Fin ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Median Fins

Tuna can change the area and shape of the median fins, including the first dorsal, second dorsal, and anal fins. The morphing median fins have the ability of adjusting the hydrodynamic forces, thereby affecting the yaw mobility of tuna to a certain extent. In this paper, the hydrodynamic analysis of the median fins under different morphing states is carried out by the numerical method, so as to clarify the influence of the erected median fins on the yaw maneuvers. By comparing the two morphing states of erected and depressed, it can be concluded that the erected median fins can increase their own hydrodynamic forces during the yaw movement. However, the second dorsal and anal fins have limited influence on the yaw maneuverability, and they tend to maintain the stability of tuna. The first dorsal fin has more lift increment in the erection state, which can obviously affect the hydrodynamic performance of tuna. Moreover, as the median fins are erected, the hydrodynamic forces of the tuna’s body increase synchronously due to the interaction between the body and the median fins, which is also very beneficial to the yaw motion. This study indicates that tuna can use the morphing median fins to adjust its mobility and stability, which provides a new idea for the design of robotic fish.

Body Vibrations of a Legged Walking Machine

1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaochun Gao ◽  
Shin-Min Song
Keyword(s):  
The Body ◽  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Force Distribution ◽  
Walking Machine ◽  
Foot Force ◽  
Robot Hands ◽  
Machine Systems ◽  
External Loads ◽  
Wheeled Vehicles ◽  
Quadrupedal Walking

Abstract Unlike in wheeled vehicles, compliance in walking machine systems changes due to the variation of leg geometry, as its body proceeds. This variation in compliance will cause vibration, even if external loads remain constant. A theory is thus developed to predict the body vibrations of a walking machine during walking. On the other hand, dynamic foot forces under body vibrations can be computed by application of the existing numerical methods. As an example, the body vibrations of a quadrupedal walking chair under different walking conditions are simulated in terms of the developed theory. The results show that the influence of body vibrations on the foot force distribution is essential and, in some cases, the walking chair may lose its stability due to its body vibrations, even though it is identified to be stable in a quasi-static analysis. The developed theory can also be extended to other similar multi-limbed robotic systems, such as multi-fingered robot hands.

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