Age-related fatigue is associated with reduced mitochondrial function in peripheral blood mononuclear cells : Herpich et al 2020

[Sly Saint]

Abstract
Background
Fatigue is a complex syndrome associated with exhaustion not relieved by sleep. It occurs frequently in older adults in the context of chronic disease and is associated with decreased physical capacity. Whether a mitochondrial dysfunction and therefore an impaired energy production might contribute to the development of fatigue during aging is yet unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate mitochondrial respiration of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in older patients with and without fatigue.

Method
Fatigue was determined according to the Brief Fatigue Inventory. Mitochondrial respiration of freshly isolated PBMCs was investigated by high-resolution respirometry using the Oroboros Oxygraph-O2k. Functional impairment and depressive symptoms were assessed using questionnaires.

Results
23 geriatric patients (77.8 ± 4.9 years; 43.5% female) with fatigue and 22 without fatigue (75.4 ± 5.4 years; 45.5% female) were analyzed. Patients with fatigue exhibited more functional limitations and more depressive symptoms. High-resolution respirometry of intact PBMCs revealed a lower routine (4.82 ± 1.14 pmol/s versus 5.89 ± 1.90 pmol/s, p = 0.041) and maximum (6.55 ± 1.51 pmol/s versus 8.43 ± 3.67 pmol/s, p = 0.013) oxygen consumption rate, resulting in a reduced ATP-linked respiration (4.26 ± 1.00 pmol/s versus 5.09 ± 1.53 pmol/s, p = 0.035) of PBMCs from geriatric patients with fatigue compared to controls without.

Conclusions
This short report shows that in this group of older patients, fatigue is associated with lower PBMC mitochondrial respiration. Whether the impaired mitochondrial respiration is accompanied by a reduced mitochondrial activity in other organs (e.g. muscle) remains to be elucidated.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0531556520305258?dgcid=rss_sd_all

 

[rvallee]

Fatigue is a complex syndrome associated with exhaustion not relieved by sleep

Is it, though?

Is it?

Interesting but this definition is weird.

 

[Kitty]

Interesting but this definition is weird.

Indeed – the study was done by a German team, though, so in fairness it could just be an odd translation of something that was already a bit truncated by the abstract form.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

I don't think the authors know what it is they want to study. They talk of age-related fatigue but that is not the same as fatigue, in comparison to no fatigue, in the elderly. Fatigue in comparison to no fatigue in yougsters might be the same. Moreover, unless they have looked carefully to see why the fatigued people are fatigued the whole thing seems pointless. Even more pointless when PBMCs are likely to give no indication of any metabolic problem that might cause fatigue.

I think this is mitochondriobabble.

 

[DigitalDrifter]

Mitochondrial respiration of freshly isolated PBMCs was investigated by high-resolution respirometry using the Oroboros Oxygraph-O2k.

Ouroboros reminds me of series 7 of Red Dwarf with Lister going back in time to become his own parent.

As for fatigue, before I got ME I had disabling fatigue for 6 years but it was relieved by sleep - I just couldn't get enough sleep due to living in a noisy environment and having to attend college/work. I needed 10 hours of sleep.