Temporal dynamics of the multi-omic response to endurance exercise training

Charting the Molecular Terrain of Exercise: Energetics, Exerkines, and the Future of Multiomic Mapping

Physical activity plays a fundamental role in human health and disease. Exercise has been shown to improve a wide variety of disease states, and the scientific community is committed to understanding the precise molecular mechanisms that underlie the exquisite benefits. This review provides an overview of molecular responses to acute exercise and chronic training, particularly energy mobilization and generation, structural adaptation, inflammation, and immune regulation. Furthermore, it offers a detailed discussion of known molecular signals and systemic regulators activated during various forms of exercise and their role in orchestrating health benefits. Critically, the increasing use of multiomic technologies is explored with an emphasis on how multiomic and multitissue studies contribute to a more profound understanding of exercise biology. These data inform anticipated future advancement in the field and highlight the prospect of integrating exercise with pharmacology for personalized disease prevention and treatment.

The role of skeletal muscle respiratory capacity in exercise performance

The connection between the respiratory capacity of skeletal muscle mitochondria and athletic performance is widely acknowledged in contemporary research. Building on a solid foundation of prior studies, current research has fostered an environment where scientists can effectively demonstrate how a tailored regimen of exercise intensity, duration, and frequency significantly boosts mitochondrial function within skeletal muscles. The range of exercise modalities is broad, spanning from endurance and high-intensity interval training to resistance-based exercises, allowing for an in-depth exploration of effective strategies to enhance mitochondrial respiratory capacity-a key factor in improving exercise performance, in other words offering a better skeletal muscle capacity to cope with exercise demands. By identifying optimal training strategies, individuals can significantly improve their performance, leading to better outcomes in their fitness and athletic endeavours. This review provides the prevailing insights on skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiratory capacity and its role in exercise performance, covering essential instrumental and methodological aspects, findings from animal studies, potential sex differences, a review of existing human studies, and considerations for future research directions.

A partial loss-of-function variant (Ile191Val) of the TAS1R2 glucose receptor is associated with enhanced responses to exercise training in older adults with obesity: A translational study

BACKGROUND

The TAS1R2 receptor, known for its role in taste perception, has also emerged as a key regulator of muscle physiology. Previous studies have shown that genetic ablation of TAS1R2 in mice enhances muscle fitness mimicking responses to endurance exercise training. However, the translational relevance of these findings to humans remains uncertain.

METHODS

We explored responses to endurance exercise training in mice and humans with genetic deficiency of TAS1R2. First, we assessed the effects of muscle-specific deletion of TAS1R2 in mice (mKO) or wild type controls (mWT) following 4 weeks of voluntary wheel running (VWR). Next, we investigated the effects of the TAS1R2-Ile191Val (rs35874116) partial loss-of-function variant on responses to a 6-month diet-induced weight loss with exercise training (WLEX), weight loss alone (WL), or education control (CON) interventions in older individuals with obesity. Participants were retrospectively genotyped for the TAS1R2-Ile191Val polymorphism and classified as conventional function (Ile/Ile) or partial loss-of-function (Val carriers: Ile/Val and Val/Val). Body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, and skeletal muscle mitochondrial function were assessed before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

In response to VWR, mKO mice demonstrated enhanced running endurance and mitochondrial protein content. Similarly, TAS1R2 Val carriers exhibited distinctive improvements in body composition, including increased muscle mass, along with enhanced cardiorespiratory fitness and mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle following the WLEX intervention compared to Ile/Ile counterparts. Notably, every Val carrier demonstrated substantial responses to exercise training and weight loss, surpassing all Ile/Ile participants in overall performance metrics.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that TAS1R2 partial loss-of-function confers beneficial effects on muscle function and metabolism in humans in response to exercise training, akin to observations in TAS1R2 muscle-deficient mice. Targeting TAS1R2 may help enhancing exercise training adaptations in individuals with compromised exercise tolerance or metabolic disorders, presenting a potential avenue for personalized exercise interventions.

The triad of physical activity: An optimal combination for cardiovascular health

The combination of moderate to vigorous physical activity with muscle-strengthening physical activity is increasingly recognized for its significant impact on cardiovascular health. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence to compare the cardiovascular benefits of combined physical activity versus singular forms, especially in primary prevention. The main focus is on hormonal, nervous, genetic, and molecular adaptations, critical mechanisms underlying the body's response to physical activity. Our findings endorse superior benefits for combined moderate to vigorous and muscle-strengthening physical activity for preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD). This combined approach synergistically enhances cardiovascular function and more effectively reduces risk factors than either activity alone. While more research is needed to distinguish between moderate and vigorous activity levels in combination with muscle-strengthening physical activity, current evidence supports comprehensive physical activity guidelines that maximize cardiovascular health. These findings highlight the importance of integrated physical activity regimens in public health strategies and clinical practice to mitigate the global CVD burden.

Adaptive Phase-Locked E-Skin for Sports Physiology and Medicine

The pursuit of creating materials that replicate the flexibility, stability, and advanced perceptual capabilities of human skin, attributes honed through natural evolution, represents a long-term objective in pioneering fields such as electronic skin (e-skin) research. However, conventional e-skin often struggles with stability and functionality in harsh sports environments, resulting in the degradation of the intimate interface over time. Inspired by the innate biphasic structure of human subcutaneous tissue, an adaptive phase-locked e-skin (APLE) is presented, designed to seamlessly conform to dynamic sports environments, offering robust applications in sports physiology and medical contexts without malfunctioning. The APLE allows one to laminate onto the skin with consistent homeostasis, providing a foundation for advancing data-driven sports physiology and creating personalized sports plans. Additionally, APLE offers immediate on-site medical treatment for common sports injuries, including hemostasis and sutureless wound closure. Ultimately, the reported multifunctional e-skin can provide significant value in managing sport-related burdens through digital and people-centered physiology monitoring, along with real-time sport healthcare.

The impact of electronic health literacy on emotional management ability among college students: the mediating roles of peer relationships and exercise self-efficacy

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore electronic health literacy's impact on college students' emotional management ability and analyze the chained mediating effects of peer relationships and exercise self-efficacy.

METHODS

The study used stratified, cluster, and staged sampling methods to collect demographic information. Electronic health literacy, peer relationships, exercise self-efficacy, and emotional management ability data were collected among college students using the Questionnaire Star software. A total of 30,105 valid questionnaires were obtained, with a valid response rate of 98.7%. Using Process Model 6, investigated how electronic health literacy sequentially influences emotional management ability through mediators such as peer relationships and exercise self-efficacy.

RESULTS

There was a significant positive correlation between electronic health literacy and emotional management ability (r = 0.496, P < 0.01), between electronic health literacy and peer relationships (r = 0.226, P < 0.01), and between electronic health literacy and exercise self-efficacy (r = 0.180, P < 0.01). Peer relationships were significantly positively correlated with exercise self-efficacy (r = 0.142, P < 0.01) and emotional management ability (r = 0.396, P < 0.01). Exercise self-efficacy was significantly positively correlated with emotional management ability (r = 0.339, P < 0.01). Electronic health literacy significantly and positively predicted emotional management ability (β = 0.254, P < 0.001). There was a mediating effect of peer relationships between electronic health literacy and emotional management ability, accounting for 58.2% of the impact, 95%CI: [0.036,0.042]. Exercise self-efficacy also mediated the relationship between electronic health literacy and emotional management ability, accounting for 61.5% of the effect, 95%CI: [0.022,0.027]. Moreover, a chained mediating effect of peer relationships and exercise self-efficacy was observed between electronic health literacy and emotional management ability, accounting for 17.1% of the effect, 95%CI: [0.004,0.005].

CONCLUSION

Electronic health literacy among college students can positively predict emotional management ability. Both peer relationships and exercise self-efficacy play a chained mediating role between electronic health literacy and emotional management ability.

Early life exercise impacts physiology and lifespan in a sex- and genotype-dependent manner in a Drosophila melanogaster exercise model

Exercise is a common strategy for disease prevention or management, including for diabetes and cardiac dysfunction. However, exercise response varies immensely between individuals, and in humans, the same exercise treatment can lead both to positive and negative responses. Drosophila melanogaster is an established model for exercise research that can be leveraged to understand this variation in exercise response. Here, we investigated how two early life exercise treatments differing in duration (5 and 20 days) impact the animals' health- and lifespan in four genotypes. Specifically, we measured lifespan, activity level, body condition, physical ability, and reproductive output in this exploratory study to gain insights into potential trade-offs. For most measures, we found both immediate and long-term effects, with some effects persisting weeks past the cessation of exercise. The effect of the exercise treatment was context-dependent, with treatment, sex, and genotype interactions determining phenotypes. For example, the 20-day treatment did not exhibit a consistently larger effect than the 5-day treatment. Similarly, neither the 5-day nor the 20-day treatment impacted lifespan, but two specific genotype/sex combinations showed altered lifespan after exercise. The 20-day treatment decreased climbing performance compared to controls up to several weeks after treatment ended in some genotypes. Together, our results highlight the complex, interacting factors controlling exercise response and demonstrate that early life exercise can have long-lasting effects in the Drosophila exercise model even though most individual groups show no response.

Endurance Exercise Training Alters Lipidomic Profiles of Plasma and Eight Tissues in Rats: a MoTrPAC study

Endurance exercise training (ExT) induces metabolic, structural, and functional adaptations via lipidomic modifications, yet the systematic elucidation of lipidome alterations in response to ExT remains incomplete. As a part of the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC), we leveraged non-targeted and targeted lipidomics for the systematic discovery of lipid alterations in the brown adipose tissue, heart, hippocampus, kidney, liver, lung, skeletal muscle gastrocnemius, subcutaneous white adipose tissue, and plasma in response to 1, 2, 4 or 8 weeks of ExT in 6-month-old male and female Fischer-344 rats. This study demonstrates that these tissues, each with distinct lipidomic features, underwent dynamic, sexually dimorphic lipid remodeling. Exercise trained animals showed reduced whole-body adiposity and improved cardiorespiratory fitness, along with enhanced utilization of lipid stores and dynamic triacylglycerol remodeling compared to sedentary controls in all tissues except hippocampus. They also showed modifications in phospholipids, lysophospholipids, oxylipins, and ceramides in several tissues. Coordinated changes across tissues reflect systemic tissue communication, with liver-plasma-heart connection potentially playing a key role in systemic lipid metabolism during ExT. These data will improve our understanding of lipid-associated biological processes underlying the health-promoting benefits of ExT.

The repeated bout effect evokes the training-induced skeletal muscle cellular memory

Physical exercise is well-established as beneficial for health. With the 20th-century epidemiological transition, promoting healthy habits like exercise has become crucial for preventing chronic diseases. Stress can yield adaptive long-term benefits, potentially transmitted trans-generationally. Physical training exposes individuals to metabolic, thermal, mechanical, and oxidative stressors, activating cell signaling pathways that regulate gene expression and adaptive responses, thereby enhancing stress tolerance - a phenomenon known as hormesis. Muscle memory is the capacity of skeletal muscle to respond differently to environmental stimuli in an adaptive (positive) or maladaptive (negative) manner if the stimuli have been encountered previously. The Repeated Bout Effect encompasses our skeletal muscle capacity to activate an intrinsic protective mechanism that reacts to eccentric exercise-induced damage by activating an adaptive response that resists subsequent damage stimuli. Deciphering the molecular mechanism of this phenomenon would allow the incorporation of muscle memory in training programs for professional athletes, active individuals looking for the health benefits of exercise training, and patients with "exercise intolerance." Moreover, enhancing the adaptive response of muscle memory could promote healing in individuals who traditionally do not recover after immobilization. The improvement could be part of an exercise program but could also be targeted pharmacologically. This review explores Repeated Bout Effect mechanisms: neural adaptations, tendon and muscle fiber property changes, extracellular matrix remodeling, and improved inflammatory responses.

Neuromuscular Regeneration of Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury in Response to Agrin-Functionalized Tissue Engineered Muscle Grafts and Rehabilitative Exercise

Neuromuscular deficits compound the loss of contractile tissue in volumetric muscle loss (VML). Two avenues for promoting recovery are neuromuscular junction (NMJ)-promoting substrates (e.g., agrin) and endurance exercise. Although mechanical stimulation enhances agrin-induced NMJ formation, the two modalities have yet to be evaluated combinatorially. It is hypothesized that the implantation of human myogenic progenitor-seeded tissue-engineered muscle grafts (hTEMGs) in combination with agrin treatment and/or exercise will enhance neuromuscular recovery after VML. The hTEMGs alone transplant into VML defects promote significant regeneration with minimal scarring. A sex-appropriate, low-intensity continuous running exercise paradigm increases acetylcholine receptor (AChR) cluster density in male mice twofold relative to hTEMG alone after 7 weeks of treadmill training (p < 0.05). To further promote neuromuscular recovery, agrin is incorporated into the scaffolds via covalent tethering. In vitro, agrin increases the proliferation of hMPs, and trends toward greater myogenic maturity and AChR clustering. Upon transplantation, both hTEMGs + agrin and hTEMGs + exercise induce near 100% recovery of muscle mass and increase twitch and tetanic force output (p > 0.05). However, agrin treatment in combination with exercise produces no additional benefit. These data highlight the unprecedented regenerative potential of using hTEMGs together with either agrin or exercise supplementation to treat VML injuries.

Metabolomics of Papanicolaou Tests for the Discovery of Ovarian Cancer Biomarkers

Background: Ovarian cancer (OC) remains one of the most lethal cancers among women due to most cases going undiagnosed until later stages. The early detection and treatment of this malignancy provides the best prognosis, but the lack of an accurate and sensitive screening tool combined with ambiguous symptoms hinders these diagnoses. In contrast, screening for cervical cancer via Papanicolaou (Pap) tests is a widespread practice that greatly reduces the cancer's mortality rates. Interestingly, previous studies show evidence of OC cells in Pap tests, suggesting that proteins, and potentially lipids, shed from ovarian tumors end up in the cervix. The goal of this study is to evaluate the practicality of using Pap tests as biospecimens for OC-screening-related metabolomics. Methods: To evaluate the effectiveness of using residual Pap test samples as biospecimens for potential metabolomics work, 29 Pap test samples, collected from women over the age of 50 with normal cytology and no visible blood contamination, were first obtained from the University of Minnesota, with IRB approval. These samples were centrifuged to recover the cell pellets from the supernatants. The cell pellets underwent a biphasic extraction, followed by an RP-LC-MS analysis, while the supernatants underwent two separate extractions and analyses, including RP-LC-MS and HILIC-LC-MS. Non-targeted features were detected in the range of 220-1000 m/z to determine the sensitivity and scope of the various extraction and analytical workflows, as well as evaluating residual Pap test samples as viable metabolomics biospecimens. Results: The biphasic extraction and subsequent RP-LC-MS analysis of the isolated cell pellets from all 29 samples yielded informative, exploratory data, highlighting the potential of using residual Pap test samples as biospecimens for metabolomics, specifically lipidomics, studies. Each sample was analyzed in both the positive and negative ion mode, yielding the detection of 7318 in the positive ion mode and 3733 in the negative ion mode. Using multiple reference libraries, 22.85% and 36.19% of these features were annotated in the positive and negative ion mode, respectively. Among these detected features, 453 unique lipids, representative of 20 different lipid subclasses, were annotated in all 29 samples. Of the various lipid subclasses represented from the detected lipids, ceramides, triacylglycerols, hexosylceramides, and phosphatidylcholines contributed to over half (53.3%) of the detected lipids at 16.2%, 13.0%, 12.8%, and 11.3%, respectively. Conclusions: The detection of these 453 common lipids across all patients establishes a relative lipidome baseline for women over the age of 50 with normal cervical cytology. This exploratory study is the first investigation to utilize residual Pap test samples as biospecimens in a metabolomics/lipidomics workflow.

Synergy between time-restricted feeding and time-restricted running is necessary to shift the muscle clock in male wistar rats

Circadian disruption is an important factor driving the current-day high prevalence of obesity and type-2 diabetes. While the impact of incorrect timing of caloric intake on circadian disruption is widely acknowlegded, the contribution of incorrect timing of physical activity remains relatively understudied. Here, we modeled the incorrect timing of physical activity in nightshift workers in male Wistar rats, by restricting running wheel access to the innate inactive (light) phase (LR). Controls included no wheel access (NR); access only during the innate active (dark) period (DR); or unrestricted (ad libitum) access (ALR). LR did not shift the phase of the muscle or liver clock, but dampened the muscle clock amplitude. As our previous study demonstrated that light-phase restricted feeding did shift the liver clock, but made the muscle clock arrhythmic, we next combined the time restriction of wheel and food access to either the light phase (LRLF) or dark phase (DRDF). LRLF produced a ∼12 h shift in the majority of clock gene rhythms in both skeletal muscle and liver. On the other hand, DRDF was most effective in reducing body weight and the accumulation of fat mass. Therefore, in order to shift the muscle clock in male Wistar rats, synergy between the timing of feeding and physical activity is necessary. These findings may contribute to further improve the design of lifestyle strategies that try to limit metabolic misalignment caused by circadian disruption.

The aging lipidome: exercise is medicine

The molecular mechanisms behind the potential 'anti-aging' effects of exercise remain to be elucidated. Janssens et al. studied the lipidome of different mouse tissues and human skeletal muscle. They identified an evolutionary conserved 'lipid aging' signature, characterized by bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate accumulation, which, at the muscle level, can be attenuated by exercise.

Plasma metabolites as mediators in the relationship between inflammation-related proteins and benign prostatic hyperplasia: insights from mendelian randomization

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition commonly observed in aging males. Inflammatory and metabolic factors are pivotal in the development and progression of BPH. The degree to which the effects of 91 inflammation-related proteins on BPH are mediated by 1400 plasma metabolites remains ambiguous. Our research analyzed the impact of these traits utilizing genetic evidence.Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) and multivariable MR (MVMR) were utilized in our study to infer the genetic causal effect of inflammation-related proteins on BPH, with metabolites serving as mediators. Increased levels of IL-2 were linked to a heightened incidence of BPH (β = 0.071, OR:1.074, 95% CI [1.002-1.152], p = 0.045), whereas lower concentrations of N6,N6-dimethyllysine were associated with decreased risk (β1=-0.127, p = 0.02; β2=-0.039, p = 0.008). The mediation effect was 0.005 (95% CI [0.0004, 0.012], OR: 1.005, 95% CI [1.000, 1.012]), accounting for 7.04% of the total effect. subsequently, we examined the phenotypic co-localization of the two pairings independently, revealing that the posterior probability of rs145516501 associated with IL-2 and BPH was 80.7%, whereas the posterior likelihood of rs4917820 linked to N6,N6-dimethyllysine levels and BPH was 95.9%. The research indicated that N6,N6-dimethyllysine levels seem to influence the causative relationship between IL-2 and BPH. These results elucidate the complex interplay between inflammation-related proteins and metabolism in the context of BPH, offering novel diagnostic and therapeutic avenues and enhancing our comprehension of the disease's etiology for prospective research.

Molecular aspects of the exercise response and training adaptation in skeletal muscle

Skeletal muscle plasticity enables an enormous potential to adapt to various internal and external stimuli and perturbations. Most notably, changes in contractile activity evoke a massive remodeling of biochemical, metabolic and force-generating properties. In recent years, a large number of signals, sensors, regulators and effectors have been implicated in these adaptive processes. Nevertheless, our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of training adaptation remains rudimentary. Specifically, the mechanisms that underlie signal integration, output coordination, functional redundancy and other complex traits of muscle adaptation are unknown. In fact, it is even unclear how stimulus-dependent specification is brought about in endurance or resistance exercise. In this review, we will provide an overview on the events that describe the acute perturbations in single endurance and resistance exercise bouts. Furthermore, we will provide insights into the molecular principles of long-term training adaptation. Finally, current gaps in knowledge will be identified, and strategies for a multi-omic and -cellular analyses of the molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle plasticity that are engaged in individual, acute exercise bouts and chronic training adaptation discussed.

Exerkines: Benign adaptation for exercise and benefits for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Exercise has multiple beneficial effects on human metabolic health and is regarded as a "polypill" for various diseases. At present, the lack of physical activity usually causes an epidemic of chronic metabolic syndromes, including obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Remarkably, NAFLD is emerging as a serious public health issue and is associated with the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Unfortunately, specific drug therapies for NAFLD and its more severe form, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), are currently unavailable. Lifestyle modification is the foundation of treatment recommendations for NAFLD and NASH, especially for exercise. There are under-appreciated organs that crosstalk to the liver during exercise such as muscle-liver crosstalk. Previous studies have reported that certain exerkines, such as FGF21, GDF15, irisin, and adiponectin, are beneficial for liver metabolism and have the potential to be targeted for NAFLD treatment. In addition, some of exerkines can be modified for the new proteins and get enhanced functions, like IL-6/IC7Fc. Another importance of exercise is the physiological adaptation that combats metabolic diseases. Thus, this review aims to summarize the known exerkines and utilize a multi-omics mining tool to identify more exerkines for the future research. Overall, understanding the mechanisms by which exercise-induced exerkines exert their beneficial effects on metabolic health holds promise for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for NAFLD and related diseases.

Entorhinal cortex-hippocampal circuit connectivity in health and disease

The entorhinal cortex (EC) and hippocampal (HC) connectivity is the main source of episodic memory formation and consolidation. The entorhinal-hippocampal (EC-HC) connection is classified as canonically glutamatergic and, more recently, has been characterized as a non-canonical GABAergic connection. Recent evidence shows that both EC and HC receive inputs from dopaminergic, cholinergic, and noradrenergic projections that modulate the mnemonic processes linked to the encoding and consolidation of memories. In the present review, we address the latest findings on the EC-HC connectivity and the role of neuromodulations during the mnemonic mechanisms of encoding and consolidation of memories and highlight the value of the cross-species approach to unravel the underlying cellular mechanisms known. Furthermore, we discuss how EC-HC connectivity early neurodegeneration may contribute to the dysfunction of episodic memories observed in aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Finally, we described how exercise may be a fundamental tool to prevent or decrease neurodegeneration.

Activation of the muscle-to-brain axis ameliorates neurocognitive deficits in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model via enhancing neurotrophic and synaptic signaling

Skeletal muscle regulates central nervous system (CNS) function and health, activating the muscle-to-brain axis through the secretion of skeletal muscle-originating factors ("myokines") with neuroprotective properties. However, the precise mechanisms underlying these benefits in the context of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain poorly understood. To investigate muscle-to-brain axis signaling in response to amyloid β (Aβ)-induced toxicity, we generated 5xFAD transgenic female mice with enhanced skeletal muscle function (5xFAD;cTFEB;HSACre) at prodromal (4-months old) and late (8-months old) symptomatic stages. Skeletal muscle TFEB overexpression reduced Aβ plaque accumulation in the cortex and hippocampus at both ages and rescued behavioral neurocognitive deficits in 8-month-old 5xFAD mice. These changes were associated with transcriptional and protein remodeling of neurotrophic signaling and synaptic integrity, partially due to the CNS-targeting myokine prosaposin (PSAP). Our findings implicate the muscle-to-brain axis as a novel neuroprotective pathway against amyloid pathogenesis in AD.

A multi-epigenomic map of endurance exercise training

The Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC) aims to comprehensively map molecular alterations in response to acute exercise and chronic training. In one of a recent series of papers from MoTrPAC, Nair et al. provide the first multi-epigenomic and transcriptomic integration across eight tissues in both sexes following adaptation to endurance exercise training (EET).

'Exerkines': A Comprehensive Term for the Factors Produced in Response to Exercise

Regular exercise and physical activity are now considered lifestyle factors with positive effects on human health. Physical activity reduces disease burden, protects against the onset of pathologies, and improves the clinical course of disease. Unlike pharmacological therapies, the effects mediated by exercise are not limited to a specific target organ but act in multiple biological systems simultaneously. Despite the substantial health benefits of physical training, the precise molecular signaling processes that lead to structural and functional tissue adaptation remain largely unknown. Only recently, several bioactive molecules have been discovered that are produced following physical exercise. These molecules are collectively called "exerkines". Exerkines are released from various tissues in response to exercise, and play a crucial role in mediating the beneficial effects of exercise on the body. Major discoveries involving exerkines highlight their diverse functions and health implications, particularly in metabolic regulation, neuroprotection, and muscle adaptation. These molecules, including peptides, nucleic acids, lipids, and microRNAs, act through paracrine, endocrine, and autocrine pathways to exert their effects on various organs and tissues. Exerkines represent a complex network of signaling molecules that mediate the multiple benefits of exercise. Their roles in metabolic regulation, neuroprotection, and muscle adaptation highlight the importance of physical activity in maintaining health and preventing disease.

Mild Cold Stress at Ambient Temperature Elevates Muscle Calcium Cycling and Exercise Adaptations in Obese Female Mice

CONTEXT

Housing temperature is a critical regulator of mouse metabolism and thermoneutral housing can improve model translation to humans. However, the impact of housing temperature on the ability of wheel running exercise training to rescue the detrimental effect of diet-induced obese mice is currently not fully understood.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate how housing temperature affects muscle metabolism in obese mice with regard to calcium handling and exercise training (ET) adaptations in skeletal muscle, and benefits of ET on adiposity and glucometabolic parameters.

METHODS

Lean or obese female mice were housed at standard ambient temperature (22 °C) or thermoneutrality (30 °C) with/without access to running wheels. The metabolic phenotype was investigated using glucose tolerance tests, indirect calorimetry, and body composition. Molecular muscle adaptations were measured using immunoblotting, qPCR, and spectrophotometric/fluorescent assays.

RESULTS

Obese female mice housed at 22 °C showed lower adiposity, lower circulating insulin levels, improved glucose tolerance, and elevated basal metabolic rate compared to 30 °C housing. Mice exposed to voluntary wheel running exhibited a larger fat loss and higher metabolic rate at 22 °C housing compared to thermoneutrality. In obese female mice, glucose tolerance improved after ET independent of housing temperature. Independent of diet and training, 22 °C housing increased skeletal muscle sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) activity. Additionally, housing at 22 °C elevated the induction of training-responsive muscle proteins in obese mice.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight that housing temperature significantly influences adiposity, insulin sensitivity, muscle physiology, and exercise adaptations in diet-induced obese female mice.

The impact of physical exercise on neuroinflammation mechanism in Alzheimer's disease

Introduction

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a major cause of dementia globally, imposes significant societal and personal costs. This review explores the efficacy of physical exercise as a non-pharmacological intervention to mitigate the impacts of AD.

Methods

This review draws on recent studies that investigate the effects of physical exercise on neuroinflammation and neuronal enhancement in individuals with AD.

Results

Consistent physical exercise alters neuroinflammatory pathways, enhances cognitive functions, and bolsters brain health among AD patients. It favorably influences the activation states of microglia and astrocytes, fortifies the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, and attenuates gut inflammation associated with AD. These changes are associated with substantial improvements in cognitive performance and brain health indicators.

Discussion

The findings underscore the potential of integrating physical exercise into comprehensive AD management strategies. Emphasizing the necessity for further research, this review advocates for the refinement of exercise regimens to maximize their enduring benefits in decelerating the progression of AD.

Multiomics2Targets identifies targets from cancer cohorts profiled with transcriptomics, proteomics, and phosphoproteomics

The availability of data from profiling of cancer patients with multiomics is rapidly increasing. However, integrative analysis of such data for personalized target identification is not trivial. Multiomics2Targets is a platform that enables users to upload transcriptomics, proteomics, and phosphoproteomics data matrices collected from the same cohort of cancer patients. After uploading the data, Multiomics2Targets produces a report that resembles a research publication. The uploaded matrices are processed, analyzed, and visualized using the tools Enrichr, KEA3, ChEA3, Expression2Kinases, and TargetRanger to identify and prioritize proteins, genes, and transcripts as potential targets. Figures and tables, as well as descriptions of the methods and results, are automatically generated. Reports include an abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, and references and are exportable as citable PDFs and Jupyter Notebooks. Multiomics2Targets is applied to analyze version 3 of the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC3) pan-cancer cohort, identifying potential targets for each CPTAC3 cancer subtype. Multiomics2Targets is available from https://multiomics2targets.maayanlab.cloud/.

Skeletal muscle BMAL1 is necessary for transcriptional adaptation of local and peripheral tissues in response to endurance exercise training

OBJECTIVE

In this investigation, we addressed the contribution of the core circadian clock factor, BMAL1, in skeletal muscle to both acute transcriptional responses to exercise and transcriptional remodeling in response to exercise training. Additionally, we adopted a systems biology approach to investigate how loss of skeletal muscle BMAL1 altered peripheral tissue homeostasis as well as exercise training adaptations in iWAT, liver, heart, and lung of male mice.

METHODS

Combining inducible skeletal muscle specific BMAL1 knockout mice, physiological testing and standardized exercise protocols, we performed a multi-omic analysis (transcriptomics, chromatin accessibility and metabolomics) to explore loss of muscle BMAL1 on muscle and peripheral tissue responses to exercise.

RESULTS

Muscle-specific BMAL1 knockout mice demonstrated a blunted transcriptional response to acute exercise, characterized by the lack of upregulation of well-established exercise responsive transcription factors including Nr4a3 and Ppargc1a. Six weeks of exercise training in muscle-specific BMAL1 knockout mice induced significantly greater and divergent transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in muscle. Surprisingly, liver, lung, inguinal white adipose and heart showed divergent exercise training transcriptomes with less than 5% of 'exercise-training' responsive genes shared for each tissue between genotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our investigation has uncovered the critical role that BMAL1 plays in skeletal muscle as a key regulator of gene expression programs for both acute exercise and training adaptations. In addition, our work has uncovered the significant impact that altered exercise response in muscle and its likely impact on the system plays in the peripheral tissue adaptations to exercise training. Our work also demonstrates that if the muscle adaptations diverge to a more maladaptive state this is linked to increased gene expression signatures of inflammation across many tissues. Understanding the molecular targets and pathways contributing to health vs. maladaptive exercise adaptations will be critical for the next stage of therapeutic design for exercise mimetics.

Impact of genome build on RNA-seq interpretation and diagnostics

Transcriptomics is a powerful tool for unraveling the molecular effects of genetic variants and disease diagnosis. Prior studies have demonstrated that choice of genome build impacts variant interpretation and diagnostic yield for genomic analyses. To identify the extent genome build also impacts transcriptomics analyses, we studied the effect of the hg19, hg38, and CHM13 genome builds on expression quantification and outlier detection in 386 rare disease and familial control samples from both the Undiagnosed Diseases Network and Genomics Research to Elucidate the Genetics of Rare Disease Consortium. Across six routinely collected biospecimens, 61% of quantified genes were not influenced by genome build. However, we identified 1,492 genes with build-dependent quantification, 3,377 genes with build-exclusive expression, and 9,077 genes with annotation-specific expression across six routinely collected biospecimens, including 566 clinically relevant and 512 known OMIM genes. Further, we demonstrate that between builds for a given gene, a larger difference in quantification is well correlated with a larger change in expression outlier calling. Combined, we provide a database of genes impacted by build choice and recommend that transcriptomics-guided analyses and diagnoses are cross referenced with these data for robustness.

Physiological Adaptations to Progressive Endurance Exercise Training in Adult and Aged Rats: Insights from the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC)

While regular physical activity is a cornerstone of health, wellness, and vitality, the impact of endurance exercise training on molecular signaling within and across tissues remains to be delineated. The Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC) was established to characterize molecular networks underlying the adaptive response to exercise. Here, we describe the endurance exercise training studies undertaken by the Preclinical Animal Sites Studies component of MoTrPAC, in which we sought to develop and implement a standardized endurance exercise protocol in a large cohort of rats. To this end, Adult (6-mo) and Aged (18-mo) female (n = 151) and male (n = 143) Fischer 344 rats were subjected to progressive treadmill training (5 d/wk, ∼70%-75% VO2max) for 1, 2, 4, or 8 wk; sedentary rats were studied as the control group. A total of 18 solid tissues, as well as blood, plasma, and feces, were collected to establish a publicly accessible biorepository and for extensive omics-based analyses by MoTrPAC. Treadmill training was highly effective, with robust improvements in skeletal muscle citrate synthase activity in as little as 1-2 wk and improvements in maximum run speed and maximal oxygen uptake by 4-8 wk. For body mass and composition, notable age- and sex-dependent responses were observed. This work in mature, treadmill-trained rats represents the most comprehensive and publicly accessible tissue biorepository, to date, and provides an unprecedented resource for studying temporal-, sex-, and age-specific responses to endurance exercise training in a preclinical rat model.