MOTS-c and aerobic exercise induce cardiac physiological adaptation via NRG1/ErbB4/CEBPβ modification in rats

MOTS-c regulates the ROS/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway to alleviate diabetic cardiomyopathy

Chronic low-grade inflammation is a characteristic of diabetes, which often culminates in cardiovascular events including myocardial damage, thereby increasing the risk of debilitating cardiac complications. The mitochondria-derived peptide MOTS-c regulates glucose and lipid metabolism while improving insulin resistance, making it a potential candidate for the treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. We investigated the impact of MOTS-c on cardiac structure and inflammation in diabetic rats induced by a high-sugar-fat diet combined with low-dose streptozotocin (30 mg/kg, i.p.). Our results confirm that high glucose levels activate the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and increase reactive oxygen species (ROS), ultimately leading to myocardial injury. Furthermore, treatment with MOTS-c (0.5 mg/kg/day, i.p.) for 8 weeks reduced the expression of ROS/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway proteins to inhibit the diabetic myocardial inflammatory response. These findings suggested that MOTS-c alleviates myocardial damage by inhibiting the ROS/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway.

Exerkines and osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent chronic joint disease, with physical exercise being a widely endorsed strategy in its management guidelines. Exerkines, defined as cytokines secreted in response to acute and chronic exercise, function through endocrine, paracrine, and/or autocrine pathways. Various tissue-specific exerkines, encompassing exercise-induced myokines (muscle), cardiokines (heart), and adipokines (adipose tissue), have been linked to exercise therapy in OA. Exerkines are derived from these kines, but unlike them, only kines regulated by exercise can be called exerkines. Some of these exerkines serve a therapeutic role in OA, such as irisin, metrnl, lactate, secreted frizzled-related protein (SFRP), neuregulin, and adiponectin. While others may exacerbate the condition, such as IL-6, IL-7, IL-15, IL-33, myostatin, fractalkine, follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1), visfatin, activin A, migration inhibitory factor (MIF), apelin and growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15. They exerts anti-/pro-apoptosis/pyroptosis/inflammation, chondrogenic differentiation and cell senescence effect in chondrocyte, synoviocyte and mesenchymal stem cell. The modulation of adipokine effects on diverse cell types within the intra-articular joint emerges as a promising avenue for future OA interventions. This paper reviews recent findings that underscore the significant role of tissue-specific exerkines in OA, delving into the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms involved.