Effects of a Blueberry Enriched Diet on the Skeletal Muscle Regenerative Process
Condition: Skeletal Muscle Disorder
MeSH terms: Muscular Diseases
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      One of the greatest challenges faced by older adults is maintaining physical function and
      strength with aging. Deterioration of skeletal muscle with aging leads to loss of mobility,
      decreased quality of life, and ultimately loss of independence. Skeletal muscle deterioration
      with aging is multifactorial, with a key factor being impaired skeletal muscle regeneration
      following damage. Muscle regeneration is a multistep process that requires a viable
      population of skeletal muscle specific progenitor cells (MPCs). MPCs reside in the skeletal
      muscle in a dormant state until activated by stress or injury cues. Upon activation, MPCs
      divide, commit to the muscle cell lineage, and fuse to form new multinucleated cells or
      repair damaged muscle cells. In older adults this regenerative process is impaired, which
      amplifies skeletal muscle deterioration. The investigators demonstrated that the ability of
      MPCs to divide (proliferate) is reduced, while MPC death is elevated in MPCs from healthy
      older adults. Further, the investigators have demonstrated that impaired nutrient metabolism,
      cellular inflammation, and oxidative stress are key mechanisms in this age-related disruption
      of MPC proliferation and overall skeletal muscle health. Therapies that improve the
      regenerative process and nutrient metabolism as well as attenuate oxidative stress and
      inflammation are necessary to improve overall skeletal muscle health of older adults.
      Blueberries have properties that the investigators hypothesize will improve the proliferative
      capacity (increase cell division and reduce cell death) of MPCs. Additionally, the
      investigators hypothesize that consumption of blueberries will improve skeletal muscle
      regeneration in the aging population via improved nutrient metabolism, attenuated cellular
      inflammation, and reduction of oxidative stress. The hypotheses will be tested using a
      dietary blueberry intervention. Serum from our human subjects [blueberry enriched diet
      (BED)-serum] will be collected and used to treat primary human MPCs. Ultimately, the
      investigators hypothesize that a blueberry enriched diet provides an ideal, natural therapy
      to improve MPC proliferative capacity, which is necessary to attenuate skeletal muscle
      deterioration.
    


Intervention name(s): Blueberry enriched diet
Intervention type(s): Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): The blueberry intervention will consist of participants ingesting two servings of 19 g freeze dried blueberry powder (equivalent to 250 g whole blueberries) daily for six weeks. Subjects will ingest the freeze dried blueberries orally. Freeze dried blueberry powder will be mixed with 8-10 ounces of water and consumed. Subjects will be asked to rinse the cup to wash any remaining blueberries off of the cup and consume the rinse water. Subjects will be given a two week supply at baseline (week 0) and a four week supply when they return for their blood draw at week 2. Subjects will be asked to return empty packets and check-off daily records as a measure of compliance.
Other intervention name(s): freeze dried blueberries
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Basic Science