High phosphate linked to altered muscle proteins in old mice
Experiments in 32 male mice linked high phosphate to altered muscle proteins; lowering dietary phosphate increased levels of proteins involved in energy production.
Limit: The animal experiment included only 32 male mice
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In an animal experiment, researchers examined muscle from 32 male C57BL/6J mice aged 5 or 24 months. Old mice ate standard food containing 0.6% phosphate, a 0.2% phosphate diet, or standard food with 5% Velphoro, a phosphate binder, for three months.
Old mice had higher blood phosphate and lower levels of proteins involved in mitochondrial energy production than young mice. Mitochondria are cells’ energy-producing structures. The low-phosphate diet increased these protein levels; the binder increased just one. Several mitochondrial protein levels were linked to the severity of sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass and strength. In separate experiments, C2C12 mouse muscle precursor cells matured for 168 hours with or without a phosphate donor at 10 millimoles per liter. Added phosphate reduced levels of a molecule that supplies cellular energy and lowered mitochondrial enzyme activity.
Why it matters
The authors suggest that phosphate reduction may offer a strategy to prevent or mitigate age-related muscle loss.
Caveats
The links between mitochondrial protein levels and sarcopenia severity do not establish cause and effect. The animal experiment used one cohort of 32 male mice and does not establish benefits in people.
- Hypophosphatemic diet
- Sucroferric oxyhydroxide
- Mitochondrial fission and fusion
- Mitophagy
- Sarcopenia
- Mice
The paper
Universidad de Alcalá
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Jun 23, 2026, Open access
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