Methods for inhibiting muscle atrophy

Abstract

In one aspect, the invention relates methods for inhibiting or preventing muscle atrophy or increasing muscle mass by providing to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of ursolic acid, a derivative thereof, or an analog of the ursane scaffold. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

1 . A method for:
 (a) increasing skeletal muscle mass;   (b) reducing skeletal muscle atrophy;   (c) increasing muscular strength; or   (d) promoting muscle growth   
       in an animal, the method comprising administering to the animal ursolic acid, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of a primate, domesticated fish, domesticated crustacean, domesticated mollusk, poultry, rabbit, dog, cat, and livestock. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof is administered to the animal in an amount of greater than or equal to 100 mg per day. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the animal is a mammal. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the animal is a human. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the animal is selected from the group consisting of a dog, cat, pig, cow, horse, goat, bison, sheep, chicken, turkey, duck, goose, and domesticated fish. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ursolic acid is present as a pharmaceutically acceptable salt selected from salts derived from aluminum, ammonium, calcium, copper (-ic and -ous), ferric, ferrous, lithium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, or zinc; salts of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines; and salts derived from arginine, betaine, caffeine, choline, N,N′-dibenzylethylenediamine, diethylamine, 2-diethylaminoethanol, 2-dimethylaminoethanol, ethanolamine, ethylenediamine, N-ethylmorpholinc, N-ethylpiperidine, glucamine, glucosamine, histidine, hydrabamine, isopropylamine, lysine, methylglucamine, morpholine, piperazine, piperidine, polyamine resins, procaine, purines, theobromine, triethylamine, trimethylamine, tripropylamine, or tromethamine. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof is administered to the animal in an amount of greater than 200 mg per day. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof is administered to the animal in an amount of greater than 300 mg per day. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof is administered to the animal in an amount of greater than 400 mg per day. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof is administered to the animal in an amount of greater than 500 mg per day. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof is administered to the animal in an amount of greater than 750 mg per day. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof is administered to the animal in an amount of greater than 1000 mg per day. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof is administered to the animal in a composition that further comprises one or more adjuvants. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof is administered to the animal in a dosage of from about 0.1 to about 50 mg/kg per day. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof is administered to the animal in a dosage of from about 0.1 to about 50 mg/kg per day. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof is administered to the animal in a dosage of from about 0.1 to about 50 mg/kg per day. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof is administered to the animal in a composition that further comprises a preservative. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof is administered to the animal in an amount of greater than or equal to 100 mg per day, and wherein the animal is selected from a domesticated fish, poultry, pig, cow, horse, goat, bison, sheep, dog, cat, and bison. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ursolic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or solvate thereof has been isolated from a natural source. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , for:
 (b) reducing skeletal muscle atrophy;   (c) increasing muscular strength; or   (d) promoting muscle growth.