Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Association between polymorphisms in the TRHR gene, fat-free mass, and muscle strength in older women

  • Published:
AGE Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A previous genome-wide association study suggested that polymorphisms in the thyrotrophin-releasing hormone receptor (TRHR) gene contribute to fat-free mass (FFM) variation. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between polymorphisms in the TRHR gene with FFM and muscle strength in older women. Volunteers (n = 241; age = 66.65 ± 5.5 years) underwent quadriceps strength assessment using isokinetics and fat-free mass by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. TRHR polymorphisms and ancestry-informative markers were genotyped through standard procedures. No significant difference was observed for rs7832552. Regarding the rs16892496, ANCOVA revealed that appendicular fat-free mass (AFFM) and relative AFFM were significantly different between groups (p = 0.04 and p = 0.05, respectively). Individuals carrying A/A and A/C genotypes respectively showed, on average, an extra 1 kg and 900 g of AFFM when compared to C/C genotype carriers. Also, the C/C genotype group presented a significantly higher chance to have reduced muscle strength. The observations presented here provide further evidence that the rs16892496 polymorphism in the TRHR gene may play a role in FFM variation. Moreover, the results bring the novel insight that this genetic variant can present a modest contribution to muscle strength in older women.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arden N, Spector T (1997) Genetic influences on muscle strength, lean body mass, and bone mineral density: a twin study. J Bone and Mineral Res 12(12):2076–2081

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baumgartner RN, Koehler KM, Gallagher D, Romero L, Heymsfield SB, Ross RR, Garry PJ, Lindeman RD (1998) Epidemiology of sarcopenia among the elderly in New Mexico. Am J Epidemiol 147(8):755–763

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bloesch D, Schutz Y, Breitenstein E, Jequier E, Felber J (1988) Thermogenic response to an oral glucose load in man: comparison between young and elderly subjects. J Am College of Nutr 7(6):471–483

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bottaro M, Russo A, Oliveira R (2005) The effects of rest interval on quadriceps torque during an isokinetic testing protocol in elderly. J Sports Sci and Med 4(3):285–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Carmelli D, Reed T (2000) Stability and change in genetic and environmental influences on hand-grip strength in older male twins. J Appl Physiol 89(5):1879–1883

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Craig CL, Marshall AL, Sjöström M, Bauman AE, Booth ML, Ainsworth BE, Pratt M, Ekelund U, Yngve A, Sallis JF (2003) International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Med Sci in Sports Exercise 35(8):1381

    Google Scholar 

  • De Mars G, Windelinckx A, Huygens W, Peeters MW, Beunen GP, Aerssens J, Vlietinck R, Thomis MAI (2008) Genome-wide linkage scan for contraction velocity characteristics of knee musculature in the Leuven Genes for Muscular Strength Study. Physiol Genomics 35(1):36–44

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fleg JL, Lakatta EG (1988) Role of muscle loss in the age-associated reduction in VO2 max. J Appl Physiol 65(3):1147–1151

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Forbes GB (1976) Adult decline in lean body mass. [/sup 40/K tracer technique]. Hum Biol; (United States) 48 (1)

  • Gallagher D, Visser M, De Meersman RE, Sepúlveda D, Baumgartner RN, Pierson RN, Harris T, Heymsfield SB (1997) Appendicular skeletal muscle mass: effects of age, gender, and ethnicity. J Appl Physiol 83(1):229–239

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • García SI, Porto PI, Dieuzeide G, Landa MS, Kirszner T, Plotquin Y, Gonzalez C, Pirola CJ (2001) Thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor (TRHR) gene is associated with essential hypertension. Hypertension 38(3):683–687

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gáspár E, Hardenbicker C, Bodó E, Wenzel B, Ramot Y, Funk W, Kromminga A, Paus R (2010) Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH): a new player in human hair-growth control. FASEB J 24(2):393–403

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gentil P, de Lima LTC, Lima RM, De Abreu BS, Grattapaglia D, Bottaro M, De Oliveira RJ, Pereira RW (2009) Vitamin-D-receptor genotypes and bone-mineral density in postmenopausal women: interaction with physical activity. J Aging and Phys Act 17(1):31

    Google Scholar 

  • Gentil P, Lima R, Lins T, Abreu B, Pereira R, Oliveira R (2007a) Physical activity, Cdx-2 genotype, and BMD. Int J Sports Med 28(12):1065

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gentil P, Lima RM, Jacó de Oliveira R, Pereira RW, Reis VM (2007b) Association between femoral neck bone mineral density and lower limb fat-free mass in postmenopausal women. J Clin Densitom 10(2):174–178

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goodpaster BH, Chomentowski P, Ward BK, Rossi A, Glynn NW, Delmonico MJ, Kritchevsky SB, Pahor M, Newman AB (2008) Effects of physical activity on strength and skeletal muscle fat infiltration in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. J Appl Physiol 105(5):1498–1503

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hindorff LA, Junkins HA, Mehta J, Manolio T (2010) A catalog of published genome-wide association studies. National Human Genome Research Institute (Available at http://www.genome.gov/page.cfm?pageid=26525384#searchForm)

  • Hughes VA, Frontera WR, Wood M, Evans WJ, Dallal GE, Roubenoff R, Singh MAF (2001) Longitudinal muscle strength changes in older adults. J Gerontology Series A: Biol Sci and Med Sci 56(5):B209–B217

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Igarashi-Migitaka J, Yamada S, Hara M, Sano T, Ozawa Y, Ohtani-Kaneko R, Hirata K (2003) Gene expression study of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) receptor using RT-PCR: relationship to clinical and immunohistochemical phenotypes in a series of human pituitary adenomas. Endocr J 50(4):459

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Janssen I, Shepard DS, Katzmarzyk PT, Roubenoff R (2004) The healthcare costs of sarcopenia in the United States. J Am Geriatr Soc 52(1):80–85

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Larsson L, Li X, Teresi A, Salviati G (1994) Effects of thyroid hormone on fast- and slow-twitch skeletal muscles in young and old rats. J Physiol 481(Pt 1):149–161

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lima R, Leite T, Pereira R, Rabelo H, Roth S, Oliveira R (2011) ACE and ACTN3 genotypes in older women: muscular phenotypes. Int J Sports Med 32(1):66

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lima RM, Bezerra L, Rabelo HT, Silva MAF, Silva AJR, Bottaro M, De Oliveira RJ (2009) Fat-free mass, strength, and sarcopenia are related to bone mineral density in older women. J Clin Densitom 12(1):35–41

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lima RM, De Abreu BS, Gentil P, de Lima Lins TC, Grattapaglia D, Pereira RW, De Oliveira RJ (2007) Lack of association between vitamin D receptor genotypes and haplotypes with fat-free mass in postmenopausal Brazilian women. J Gerontology Series A: Biol Sci and Med Sci 62(9):966–972

    Google Scholar 

  • Lins TC, Vieira RG, Abreu BS, Gentil P, Moreno-Lima R, Oliveira RJ, Pereira RW (2011) Genetic heterogeneity of self-reported ancestry groups in an admixed Brazilian population. J Epidemiol 21(4):240–245

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liu XG, Tan LJ, Lei SF, Liu YJ, Shen H, Wang L, Yan H, Guo YF, Xiong DH, Chen XD, Pan F, Yang TL, Zhang YP, Guo Y, Tang NL, Zhu XZ, Deng HY, Levy S, Recker RR, Papasian CJ, Deng HW (2009) Genome-wide association and replication studies identified TRHR as an important gene for lean body mass. Am J Hum Genet 84(3):418–423. doi:10.1016/j.ajhg.2009.02.004

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller S, Dykes D, Polesky H (1988) A simple salting out procedure for extracting DNA from human nucleated cells. Nucleic Acids Res 16(3):1215

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pescatello LS, Kostek MA, Gordish-Dressman H, Thompson PD, Seip RL, Price TB, Angelopoulos TJ, Clarkson PM, Gordon PM, Moyna NM (2006) ACE ID genotype and the muscle strength and size response to unilateral resistance training. Med Sci in Sports Exercise 38(6):1074

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rankinen T, Roth SM, Bray MS, Loos R, Pérusse L, Wolfarth B, Hagberg JM, Bouchard C (2010) Advances in exercise, fitness, and performance genomics. Med Sci in Sports Exercise 42(5):835

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruixing Y, Jinzhen W, Shangling P, Weixiong L, Dezhai Y, Yuming C (2008) Sex differences in environmental and genetic factors for hypertension. Am J Med 121(9):811–819

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seeman E, Hopper JL, Young NR, Formica C, Goss P, Tsalamandris C (1996) Do genetic factors explain associations between muscle strength, lean mass, and bone density? A twin study. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 270(2):E320–E327

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tan LJ, Liu SL, Lei SF, Papasian CJ, Deng HW (2012) Molecular genetic studies of gene identification for sarcopenia. Hum Genet 131(1):1–31. doi:10.1007/s00439-011-1040-7

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson PD, Moyna N, Seip R, Price T, Clarkson P, Angelopoulos T, Gordon P, Pescatello L, Visich P, Zoeller R (2004) Functional polymorphisms associated with human muscle size and strength. Med Sci in Sports Exercise 36(7):1132

    Google Scholar 

  • Tiainen K, Sipila S, Kauppinen M, Kaprio J, Rantanen T (2009) Genetic and environmental effects on isometric muscle strength and leg extensor power followed up for three years among older female twins. J Appl Physiol 106(5):1604–1610. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.91056.2008

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whipple R, Wolfson L, Amerman P (1987) The relationship of knee and ankle weakness to falls in nursing home residents: an isokinetic study. J Am Geriatr Soc 35(1):13

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank the participants of the study. Funding was provided by a grant 193.000.555/2009 from the Research Support Foundation of the Federal District (FAP-DF) and by a grant from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Physical Education, University of Brasilia, SMU/QRS/RCG, Rua E, Casa 504, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil

    Cláudia C. Lunardi

  2. College of Physical Education, Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil

    Rinaldo W. Pereira, Tailce K. M. Leite & Ana B. M. Siqueira

  3. College of Physical Education, University of Brasilia, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, Brazil

    Ricardo M. Lima & Ricardo J. Oliveira

Authors
  1. Cláudia C. Lunardi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ricardo M. Lima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rinaldo W. Pereira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tailce K. M. Leite
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ana B. M. Siqueira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ricardo J. Oliveira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cláudia C. Lunardi.

About this article

Cite this article

Lunardi, C.C., Lima, R.M., Pereira, R.W. et al. Association between polymorphisms in the TRHR gene, fat-free mass, and muscle strength in older women. AGE 35, 2477–2483 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-013-9526-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-013-9526-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation