A Procedure for Creating a Frailty Index Based on Deficit Accumulation in Aging Mice

作者：Parks Randi J; Fares Elias; MacDonald Jennifer K; Ernst Matthew C; Sinal Christopher J; Rockwood Kenneth; Howlett Susan E^*

来源：Journals of Gerontology Series A-Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 2012, 67(3): 217-227.

DOI：10.1093/gerona/glr193

• Frailty index
• Deficit index
• Excitation-contraction coupling
• Calcium transient
• Contraction

This study developed an approach to quantify frailty with a frailty index (FI) and investigated whether age-related changes in contractions, calcium transients, and ventricular myocyte length were more prominent in mice with a high FI. The FI combined 31 variables that reflect different aspects of health in middle-aged (similar to 12 months) and aged (similar to 30 months) mice of both sexes. Aged animals had a higher FI than younger animals (FI = 0.43 +/- 0.03 vs 0.08 +/- 0.02, p %26lt; .001, n = 12). Myocyte hypertrophy increased by 30%-50% as the FI increased in aged animals. Peak contractions decreased more than threefold from lowest to highest FI values in aged mice (p %26lt; .037), but calcium transients were unaffected. Similar results were seen with an FI based on eight noninvasive variables identified as underlying factors. These results show that an FI can be developed for murine models and suggest that age-associated changes in myocytes are more prominent in animals with a high FI.

• 出版日期2012-3