Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026
09:29
Skeletal Muscle Gender Dimorphism from Proteomics
Published on: December 14, 2011
Muscular transcriptome in postmenopausal women with or without hormone replacement
Eija Pöllänen1, Paula H A Ronkainen, Harri Suominen
1Finnish Centre for Interdisciplinary Gerontology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland. eija.pollinen@sport.jyu.fi
Rejuvenation Research
|November 8, 2007
Summary
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may slow muscle aging after menopause. This study found HRT partially counteracted gene expression changes in skeletal muscle, potentially preserving muscle mass and function.
Area of Science:
- Muscle physiology and molecular biology
- Endocrinology and women's health
Background:
- Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, has incomplete molecular understanding.
- Menopause-associated estrogen decline impacts muscle, but HRT effects and muscle transcriptome changes are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on skeletal muscle gene expression in postmenopausal women.
- To characterize global transcriptional changes in skeletal muscle related to estrogen status and HRT use.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blinded study involving fifteen postmenopausal women.
- Explorative microarray analysis to assess gene expression differences between HRT users and non-users.
Main Results:
- Significant transcriptional changes were observed in muscle protein and energy metabolism.
- The ubiquitin-proteasome system showed differential regulation at multiple levels.
- HRT use appeared to partially mitigate postmenopause-related transcriptional alterations in skeletal muscle.
Conclusions:
- Early postmenopausal years without HRT exhibit notable muscle transcriptome changes.
- HRT may slow these age-related muscle transcriptome changes, aiding in maintaining muscle mass and function.
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