Glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine-Cu(2+) rescues cigarette smoking-induced skeletal muscle dysfunction via a sirtuin 1-dependent pathway

Deng M, Zhang Q, Yan L, Bian Y, Li R, Gao J, Wang Y, Miao J, Li J, Zhou X, Hou G · Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle

Plasma GHK was lower in COPD than in age-matched controls (70.27 ± 38.87 vs 133.0 ± 54.54 ng/mL, P=0.009) and correlated with pectoralis muscle area (R=0.684), TNF-α (R=−0.696) and SOD2 (R=0.721). GHK-Cu preserved muscle mass, fibre cross-sectional area and grip strength in smoke-exposed mice, binding and activating SIRT1.

Population

9 patients with COPD and 11 age-matched healthy controls for plasma measurement; C2C12 myotubes and cigarette-smoke-exposed C57BL/6 mice for the intervention

Intervention

GHK-Cu 0.2 and 2 mg/kg in smoke-exposed mice; GHK-Cu on smoke-extract-treated myotubes

Comparator

Untreated smoke-exposed animals and cells

Limitations

The human component is a 20-person cross-sectional plasma measurement, not a trial, and its contrast is disease rather than age. The intervention data are entirely rodent and cell culture.