Training monocytes by physical exercise: good practice for improving collateral artery development and postischemic outcomes

Identification of Critical Genes and Signaling Pathways in Human Monocytes Following High-Intensity Exercise

BACKGROUND

Monocytes are critical components, not only for innate immunity, but also for the activation of the adaptive immune system. Many studies in animals and humans have demonstrated that monocytes may be closely associated with chronic inflammatory diseases and be proved to be pivotal in the association between high-intensity exercise and anti-inflammation response. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms driving this are barely understood. The present study aimed to screen for potential hub genes and candidate signaling pathways associated with the effects of high-intensity exercise on human monocytes through bioinformatics analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The GSE51835 gene expression dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The dataset consists of 12 monocyte samples from two groups of pre-exercise and post-exercise individuals. Identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with R software, and functional annotation and pathway analyses were then performed with related web databases. Subsequently, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network which discovers key functional protein and a transcription factors-DEGs network which predicts upstream regulators were constructed.

RESULTS

A total of 146 differentially expressed genes were identified, including 95 upregulated and 51 downregulated genes. Gene Ontology analysis indicated that in the biological process functional group, these DEGs were mainly involved in cellular response to hydrogen peroxide, response to unfolded protein, negative regulation of cell proliferation, cellular response to laminar fluid shear stress, and positive regulation of protein metabolic process. The top five enrichment pathways in a Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were the FoxO signaling pathway, protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, influenza A, the ErbB signaling pathway, and the MAPK signaling pathway. TNF, DUSP1, ATF3, CXCR4, NR4A1, BHLHE40, CDKN1B, SOCS3, TNFAIP3, and MCL1 were the top 10 potential hub genes. The most important modules obtained in the PPI network were performed KEGG pathway analysis, which showed that these genes were mainly involved in the MAPK signaling pathway, the IL-17 signaling pathway, the TNF signaling pathway, osteoclast differentiation, and apoptosis. A transcription factor (TF) target network illustrated that FOXJ2 was a critical regulatory factor.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified the essential genes and pathways associated with exercise and monocytes. Among these, four essential genes (TNF, DUSP1, CXCR4, and NR4A1) and the FoxO signaling pathway play vital roles in the immune function of monocytes. High-intensity exercise may improve the resistance of chronic inflammatory diseases by regulating the expression of these genes.

The genetics of exceptional longevity identifies new druggable targets for vascular protection and repair

Therapeutic angiogenesis is a relatively new medical strategy in the field of cardiovascular diseases. The underpinning concept is that angiogenic growth factors or proangiogenic cells could be exploited therapeutically in cardiovascular patients to enhance native revascularization responses to an ischemic insult, thereby accelerating tissue healing. The initial enthusiasm generated by preclinical studies has been tempered by the modest success of clinical trials assessing therapeutic angiogenesis. Similarly, proangiogenic cell therapy has so far not maintained the original promises. Intriguingly, the current trend is to consider regeneration as a prerogative of the youngest organism. Consequentially, the embryonic and foetal models are attracting much attention for clinical translation into corrective modalities in the adulthood. Scientists seem to undervalue the lesson from Mother Nature, e.g. all humans are born young but very few achieve the goal of an exceptional healthy longevity. Either natural experimentation is driven by a supreme intelligence or stochastic phenomena, one has to accept the evidence that healthy longevity is the fruit of an evolutionary process lasting million years. It is therefore extremely likely that results of this natural experimentation are more reliable and translatable than the intensive, but very short human investigation on mechanisms governing repair and regeneration. With this preamble in mind, here we propose to shift the focus from the very beginning to the very end of human life and thus capture the secret of prolonged health span to improve well-being in the adulthood.