ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2020
Alterations of Extracellular Matrix Mechanical Properties Contribute to Age-Related Functional Impairment of Human Skeletal Muscles.
Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 65 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
65 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 99 citations in OpenAlex.
- Muscle elasticity variations in assessing age-related changes in adults - A systematic review.Geriatrics & gerontology international · 2025Pooled it
- Exploring In Vivo Models of Musculoskeletal Frailty: A Comprehensive Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Pooled it
- Systematic review of skeletal muscle passive mechanics experimental methodology.Journal of biomechanics · 2021Pooled it
- The nucleus as a mechanobiological hub in muscle aging.Nucleus (Austin, Tex.) · 2026Review
- Reversible Mechano-Regulation of Cellular Senescence: Effects of Substrate Stiffness on Cells.Cells · 2026Article
- Phytochemical-Based Therapeutic Strategies for Sarcopenia: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Translation.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Sex-specific effects of fatiguing exercise on skeletal muscle passive mechanics are preserved in aging.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Quantification of muscle morphology and stiffness in spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy versus typically developing controls using magnetic resonance elastography.Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon) · 2026Article
- The Age-Dependent Resident Myonuclear Multi-Omic Response to an Acute Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophic Stimulus in Mice.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Overactive PDGFRα and PDGFRβ promote distinct phenotypes of skeletal muscle fibrosis and stiffness, with PDGFRβ also driving muscle growth.American journal of physiology. Cell physiology · 2026Article
- Expansion Microscopy reveals changes in cellular and extracellular structures between healthy and perturbed tendons.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Repeated Disuse Atrophy Imprints a Molecular Memory in Skeletal Muscle: Transcriptional Resilience in Young Adults and Susceptibility in Aged Muscle.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Overactive PDGFRα and PDGFRβ promote distinct yet overlapping phenotypes of skeletal muscle fibrosis and stiffness, with PDGFRβ also driving drastic muscle growth.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Engineering Aging: Approaches to Model and Deconstruct Biological Complexity.Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) · 2026Review
- Relaxed Stiffness of Lower Extremity Muscles and Step Width Variability as Key Differences Between Sarcopenia and Dynapenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Cell biomechanics on muscle atrophy: from intricate mechanisms to therapeutic frontiers.Annals of medicine · 2025Review
- Article
- Skeletal Muscle Aging: Enhancing Skeletal Muscle Integrity and Function as a Potential Pharmacological Approach.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Mechanical interactions between the biceps femoris long and short heads: Implications for T-junction hamstring injuries.Clinical physiology and functional imaging · 2025Article
- Effect of Androgens on Human Fascia.Biology · 2025Article
5 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 1 institution in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Aging of human skeletal muscles is associated with increased passive stiffness, but it is still debated whether muscle fibers or extracellular matrix (ECM) are the determinants of such change. To answer this question, we compared the passive stress generated by elongation of fibers alone and arranged in small bundles in young healthy (Y: 21 years) and elderly (E: 67 years) subjects. The physiological range of sarcomere length (SL) 2.5-3.3 μm was explored. The area of ECM between muscle fibers was determined on transversal sections with picrosirius red, a staining specific for collagen fibers. The passive tension of fiber bundles was significantly higher in E compared to Y at all SL. However, the resistance to elongation of fibers alone was not different between the two groups, while the ECM contribution was significantly increased in E compared to Y. The proportion of muscle area occupied by ECM increased from 3.3% in Y to 8.2% in E. When the contribution of ECM to bundle tension was normalized to the fraction of area occupied by ECM, the difference disappeared. We conclude that, in human skeletal muscles, the age-related reduced compliance is due to an increased stiffness of ECM, mainly caused by collagen accumulation.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.