Can you take a pill that will replicate what you would have accomplished by exercising?
Some surprising research from Tokyo says the answer may be yes -- at least, when applied to muscle and bone health.
(Photo credit: Camilo Jimenez on Unsplash)
Researchers at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) have identified a drug that apparently replicates the effects of exercise on bones and muscles.
It’s known that exercise supports good bone and muscle health. But for people who may be too frail to exercise regularly, the muscles and bones can deteriorate. The weakening of the muscles (sarcopenia) and bones (osteoporosis) are widely-recognized outcomes of a lack of exercise.
It’s also recognized that many people can’t do anything about it. They may have cerebrovascular disease, already be bedridden, or suffer from dementia. Can they be helped by drugs? Yes, there are drug therapies that can treat sarcopenia or osteoporosis, but no one drug that targets both muscles and bones at the same time.
As reported here, a team of researchers at TMDU used a new screening system to identify a compound that replicates the changes in muscle and bone that result from exercise. Using the screening system, the researchers discovered that locamidazole (LAMZ) “has the ability to stimulate the growth of bone-forming osteoblasts and muscle cells while inhibiting the formation of osteoclasts, which break down bone.”
LAMZ was transmitted into the bloodstream of mice when administered orally, with no apparent side effects. The drug was administered to mice with locomotor frailty. The money quote, from Takehito Ono, the lead author of the study:
“We were pleased to find that LAMZ-treated mice exhibited larger muscle fiber width, greater maximal muscle strength, a higher rate of bone formation, and lower bone resorption activity.”
According to the researchers, LAMZ mimics the chemical signaling pathways that are activated during exercise, and that in turn stimulate the expression of downstream molecules that help maintain muscle and bone.
Will it work for humans? Stay tuned.