Selenium-mediated alleviation of skeletal muscle atrophy through enterotype modulation in mice

Abstract

Skeletal muscle is crucial for health, and glucocorticoid-induced atrophy poses a significant clinical challenge. This study utilized a dexamethasone (Dex)-induced mouse model to assess the impact of selenium supplementation on skeletal muscle atrophy during and after Dex treatment. Increasing evidence suggests the existence of a ‘gut-muscle axis’, where gut microbiota plays a regulatory role in muscle metabolism and function. We also examined changes in gut microbiota during selenium supplementation and applied the PAM (Partitioning Around Medoids, PAM) algorithm to identify key enterotypes influencing muscle health. Our findings show that selenium supplementation significantly mitigated Dex-induced muscle atrophy and hastened recovery post-treatment. Selenium intervention not only restructured the gut microbiota, enhancing diversity and promoting short-chain fatty acid producers, but also favored the Lactobacillus and Dubosiella enterotypes. These enterotypes are linked to improved amino acid and energy utilization, beneficial for muscle function. This study suggests that selenium may be a valuable nutritional supplement for combating Dex-induced skeletal muscle atrophy.