Genome-Wide Genetic Analysis of Dropout in a Controlled Exercise Intervention in Sedentary Adults With Overweight or Obesity and Cardiometabolic Disease.

BACKGROUND: Despite the benefits of exercise, many individuals are unable or unwilling to adopt an exercise intervention. PURPOSE: The purpose of this analysis was to identify putative genetic variants associated with dropout from exercise training interventions among individuals in the STRRIDE trials. METHODS: We used a genome-wide association study approach to identify genetic variants in 603 participants initiating a supervised exercise intervention. Exercise intervention dropout occurred when a subject withdrew from further participation in the study or was otherwise lost to follow-up. RESULTS: Exercise intervention dropout was associated with a cluster of single-nucleotide polymorphisms with the top candidate being rs722069 (T/C, risk allele = C) (unadjusted p = 2.2 × 10-7, odds ratio = 2.23) contained within a linkage disequilibrium block on chromosome 16. In Genotype-Tissue Expression, rs722069 is an expression quantitative trait locus of the EARS2, COG7, and DCTN5 genes in skeletal muscle tissue. In subsets of the STRRIDE genetic cohort with available muscle gene expression (n = 37) and metabolic data (n = 82), at baseline the C allele was associated with lesser muscle expression of EARS2 (p < .002) and COG7 (p = .074) as well as lesser muscle concentrations of C2- and C3-acylcarnitines (p = .026). CONCLUSIONS: Our observations imply that exercise intervention dropout is genetically moderated through alterations in gene expression and metabolic pathways in skeletal muscle. Individual genetic traits may allow the development of a biomarker-based approach for identifying individuals who may benefit from more intensive counseling and other interventions to optimize exercise intervention adoption. CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION: STRRIDE I = NCT00200993; STRRIDE AT/RT = NCT00275145; STRRIDE-PD = NCT00962962.

Regular participation in exercise can provide a myriad of health benefits. Although individuals recognize these benefits, many are unable or unwilling to adopt an exercise intervention once initiated. The purpose of this analysis was to identify genetic variants associated with dropout from an exercise training intervention. We found exercise intervention dropout to be genetically moderated through changes in gene expression and metabolic pathways in muscle. Thus, individual genetic traits may allow for the development of a biomarker-based targeted approach for identifying individuals who may benefit from more intensive counseling and interventions to optimize the adoption of an exercise intervention program.

Obesity and exercise training alter inflammatory pathway skeletal muscle small extracellular vesicle microRNAs.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? Is 1 week of exercise training sufficient to reduce local and systemic inflammation? Do obesity and short-term concurrent aerobic and resistance exercise training alter skeletal muscle extracellular vesicle (EV) contents? What is the main finding and its importance? Obesity alters skeletal muscle small EV microRNAs targeting inflammatory and growth pathways. Exercise training alters skeletal muscle small EV microRNAs targeting inflammatory pathways, indicative of reduced inflammation. Our findings provide support for the hypotheses that EVs play a vital role in intercellular communication during health and disease and that EVs mediate many of the beneficial effects of exercise. ABSTRACT: Obesity is associated with chronic inflammation characterized by increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, whereas exercise training reduces inflammation. Small extracellular vesicles (EVs; 30-150 nm) participate in cell-to-cell communication in part through microRNA (miRNA) post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA. We examined whether obesity and concurrent aerobic and resistance exercise training alter skeletal muscle EV miRNA content and inflammatory signalling. Vastus lateralis biopsies were obtained from sedentary individuals with (OB) and without obesity (LN). Before and after 7 days of concurrent aerobic and resistance training, muscle-derived small EV miRNAs and whole-muscle mRNAs were measured. Pathway analysis revealed that obesity alters small EV miRNAs that target inflammatory (SERPINF1, death receptor and Gαi ) and growth pathways (Wnt/ß-catenin, PTEN, PI3K/AKT and IGF-1). In addition, exercise training alters small EV miRNAs in an anti-inflammatory manner, targeting the IL-10, IL-8, Toll-like receptor and nuclear factor-κB signalling pathways. In whole muscle, IL-8 mRNA was reduced by 50% and Jun mRNA by 25% after exercise training, consistent with the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise on skeletal muscle. Obesity and 7 days of concurrent exercise training differentially alter skeletal muscle-derived small EV miRNA contents targeting inflammatory and anabolic pathways.

Exercise and weight loss interventions and miRNA expression in women with breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Obesity and weight gain are associated with comorbidities including a higher risk of tumor recurrence and cancer-related deaths among breast cancer (BC) survivors; however, the underlying mechanisms linking obesity and cancer are poorly understood. Given the lack of clinically validated BC biomarkers, obesity and weight-loss studies utilize serum biomarkers as the intermediary outcomes of tumor recurrence. Studies have indicated microRNAs (miRNA)s are reliable biomarkers for cancer. We hypothesized that miRNA expression correlates with obesity and weight loss amongst BC survivors. This would yield insight into the biological pathways by which this association occurs, enabling more precise development of therapeutics. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We correlated baseline body mass index (BMI) with serum miRNA expression in 121 BC survivors enrolled in the Hormones and Physical Exercise (HOPE) trial. We then analyzed expression of the 35 most abundant miRNAs from HOPE in a six-month randomized controlled weight-loss trial (Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition; LEAN) in 100 BC survivors. Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) software was used to identify biological pathway targets of the BMI-associated and intervention-responsive miRNAs using predictive biomarkers. RESULTS: Pearson correlations in HOPE identified eight miRNAs associated with BMI, including miR-191-5p (r = - 0.22, p = 0.016) and miR-122-5p (r = 0.25, p = 0.0048). In the LEAN validation study, levels of miR-191-5p significantly increased during the six-month intervention (p = 0.082). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified "Estrogen-mediated S-phase entry" (HOPE p = 0.003; LEAN p < 0.001) and "Molecular mechanisms of cancer" (HOPE p = 0.02; LEAN p < 0.001) as the top canonical pathways that significantly correlated with BMI-associated and intervention-responsive miRNAs and contain obesity and cancer-relevant genes including the E2F family of transcription factors and CCND1, which have been implicated in sporadic BC. CONCLUSION: While the association between obesity and BC recurrence and mortality has been demonstrated in the literature, mechanisms underlying the link between weight gain and cancer are unclear. Using two independent clinical trials, we identified novel miRNAs associative to BMI and weight loss that contribute to the development of cancer. Predictive modeling of miRNA targets identified multiple canonical pathways associated with cancer, highlighting potential mechanisms explaining the link between BMI and increased cancer risk.

Extracellular matrix remodeling and its contribution to protective adaptation following lengthening contractions in human muscle.

This study determined the contribution of extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling to the protective adaptation of human skeletal muscle known as the repeated-bout effect (RBE). Muscle biopsies were obtained 3 hours, 2 days, and 27 days following an initial bout (B1) of lengthening contractions (LCs) and 2 days following a repeated bout (B2) in 2 separate studies. Biopsies from the nonexercised legs served as controls. In the first study, global transcriptomic analysis indicated widespread changes in ECM structural, deadhesive, and signaling transcripts, 3 hours following LC. To determine if ECM remodeling is involved in the RBE, we conducted a second study by use of a repeated-bout paradigm. TNC immunoreactivity increased 10.8-fold following B1, was attenuated following B2, and positively correlated with LC-induced strength loss (r(2) = 0.45; P = 0.009). Expression of collagen I, III, and IV (COL1A1, COL3A1, COL4A1) transcripts was unchanged early but increased 5.7 ± 2.5-, 3.2 ± 0.9-, and 2.1 ± 0.4-fold (P < 0.05), respectively, 27 days post-B1 and were unaffected by B2. Likewise, TGF-ß signaling demonstrated a delayed response following LC. Satellite cell content increased 80% (P < 0.05) 2 days post-B1 (P < 0.05), remained elevated 27 days post-B1, and was unaffected by B2. Collectively, the data suggest sequential ECM remodeling characterized by early deadhesion and delayed reconstructive activity that appear to contribute to the RBE.

Lipid exposure elicits differential responses in gene expression and DNA methylation in primary human skeletal muscle cells from severely obese women.

The skeletal muscle of obese individuals exhibits an impaired ability to increase the expression of genes linked with fatty acid oxidation (FAO) upon lipid exposure. The present study determined if this response could be attributed to differential DNA methylation signatures. RNA and DNA were isolated from primary human skeletal muscle cells (HSkMC) from lean and severely obese women following lipid incubation. mRNA expression and DNA methylation were quantified for genes that globally regulate FAO [PPARγ coactivator (PGC-1α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), nuclear respiratory factors (NRFs)]. With lipid oversupply, increases in NRF-1, NRF-2, PPARα, and PPARδ expression were dampened in skeletal muscle from severely obese compared with lean women. The expression of genes downstream of the PPARs and NRFs also exhibited a pattern of not increasing as robustly upon lipid exposure with obesity. Increases in CpG methylation near the transcription start site with lipid oversupply were positively related to PPARδ expression; increases in methylation with lipid were depressed in HSkMC from severely obese women. With severe obesity, there is an impaired ability to upregulate global transcriptional regulators of FAO in response to lipid exposure. Transient changes in DNA methylation patterns and differences in the methylation signature with severe obesity may play a role in the transcriptional regulation of PPARδ in response to lipid. The persistence of differential responses to lipid in HSkMC derived from lean and obese subjects supports the possibility of stable epigenetic programming of skeletal muscle cells by the respective environments.

Differential epigenetic and transcriptional response of the skeletal muscle carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1B (CPT1B) gene to lipid exposure with obesity.

The ability to increase fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in response to dietary lipid is impaired in the skeletal muscle of obese individuals, which is associated with a failure to coordinately upregulate genes involved with FAO. While the molecular mechanisms contributing to this metabolic inflexibility are not evident, a possible candidate is carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1B (CPT1B), which is a rate-limiting step in FAO. The present study was undertaken to determine if the differential response of skeletal muscle CPT1B gene transcription to lipid between lean and severely obese subjects is linked to epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation and histone acetylation) that impact transcriptional activation. In primary human skeletal muscle cultures the expression of CPT1B was blunted in severely obese women compared with their lean counterparts in response to lipid, which was accompanied by changes in CpG methylation, H3/H4 histone acetylation, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α transcription factor occupancy at the CPT1B promoter. Methylation of specific CpG sites in the CPT1B promoter that correlated with CPT1B transcript level blocked the binding of the transcription factor upstream stimulatory factor, suggesting a potential causal mechanism. These findings indicate that epigenetic modifications may play important roles in the regulation of CPT1B in response to a physiologically relevant lipid mixture in human skeletal muscle, a major site of fatty acid catabolism, and that differential DNA methylation may underlie the depressed expression of CPT1B in response to lipid, contributing to the metabolic inflexibility associated with severe obesity.

Adipocyte-derived exosomal miRNAs: a novel mechanism for obesity-related disease.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is frequently complicated by comorbid conditions, yet how excess adipose contributes is poorly understood. Although adipocytes in obese individuals induce systemic inflammation via secreted cytokines, another potential mediator has recently been identified (i.e., adipocyte-derived exosomes). We hypothesized that adipocyte-derived exosomes contain mediators capable of activating end-organ inflammatory and fibrotic signaling pathways. METHODS: We developed techniques to quantify and characterize exosomes shed by adipocytes from seven obese (age: 12-17.5 y, BMI: 33-50 kg/m(2)) and five lean (age: 11-19 y, BMI: 22-25 kg/m(2)) subjects. RESULTS: Abundant exosomal miRNAs, but no mRNAs, were detected. Comparison of obese vs. lean visceral adipose donors detected 55 differentially expressed miRNAs (P < 0.05; fold change ≥|1.2|). qRT-PCR confirmed downregulation of miR-148b (ratio = 0.2 (95% confidence interval = 0.1, 0.6)) and miR-4269 (0.3 (0.1, 0.8)), and upregulation of miR-23b (6.2 (2.2, 17.8)) and miR-4429 (3.8 (1.1-13.4)). Pathways analysis identified TGF-ß signaling and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling among the top canonical pathways expected to be altered with visceral adiposity based on projected mRNA targets for the 55 differentially expressed miRNAs. A select mRNA target was validated in vitro. CONCLUSION: These data show that visceral adipocytes shed exosomal-mediators predicted to regulate key end-organ inflammatory and fibrotic signaling pathways.

Metabolite signatures of exercise training in human skeletal muscle relate to mitochondrial remodelling and cardiometabolic fitness.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Targeted metabolomic and transcriptomic approaches were used to evaluate the relationship between skeletal muscle metabolite signatures, gene expression profiles and clinical outcomes in response to various exercise training interventions. We hypothesised that changes in mitochondrial metabolic intermediates would predict improvements in clinical risk factors, thereby offering novel insights into potential mechanisms. METHODS: Subjects at risk of metabolic disease were randomised to 6 months of inactivity or one of five aerobic and/or resistance training programmes (n = 112). Pre/post-intervention assessments included cardiorespiratory fitness ([Formula: see text]), serum triacylglycerols (TGs) and insulin sensitivity (SI). In this secondary analysis, muscle biopsy specimens were used for targeted mass spectrometry-based analysis of metabolic intermediates and measurement of mRNA expression of genes involved in metabolism. RESULTS: Exercise regimens with the largest energy expenditure produced robust increases in muscle concentrations of even-chain acylcarnitines (median 37-488%), which correlated positively with increased expression of genes involved in muscle uptake and oxidation of fatty acids. Along with free carnitine, the aforementioned acylcarnitine metabolites were related to improvements in [Formula: see text], TGs and SI (R = 0.20-0.31, p < 0.05). Muscle concentrations of the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates succinate and succinylcarnitine (R = 0.39 and 0.24, p < 0.05) emerged as the strongest correlates of SI. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The metabolic signatures of exercise-trained skeletal muscle reflected reprogramming of mitochondrial function and intermediary metabolism and correlated with changes in cardiometabolic fitness. Succinate metabolism and the succinate dehydrogenase complex emerged as a potential regulatory node that intersects with whole-body insulin sensitivity. This study identifies new avenues for mechanistic research aimed at understanding the health benefits of physical activity. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00200993 and NCT00275145 Funding This work was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (National Institutes of Health), National Institute on Aging (National Institutes of Health) and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (National Institutes of Health).

Lengthening our perspective: morphological, cellular, and molecular responses to eccentric exercise.

The response of skeletal muscle to unaccustomed eccentric exercise has been studied widely, yet it is incompletely understood. This review is intended to provide an up-to-date overview of our understanding of how skeletal muscle responds to eccentric actions, with particular emphasis on the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of damage and recovery. This review begins by addressing the question of whether eccentric actions result in physical damage to muscle fibers and/or connective tissue. We next review the symptomatic manifestations of eccentric exercise (i.e., indirect damage markers, such as delayed onset muscle soreness), with emphasis on their relatively poorly understood molecular underpinnings. We then highlight factors that potentially modify the muscle damage response following eccentric exercise. Finally, we explore the utility of using eccentric training to improve muscle function in populations of healthy and aging individuals, as well as those living with neuromuscular disorders.

Adipocyte exosomes induce transforming growth factor beta pathway dysregulation in hepatocytes: a novel paradigm for obesity-related liver disease.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been attributed to increased systemic inflammation and insulin resistance mediated by visceral adipose tissue (VAT), although the exact mechanisms are undefined. Exosomes are membrane-derived vesicles containing messenger RNA, microRNA, and proteins, which have been implicated in cancer, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune diseases, which we postulated may be involved in obesity-related diseases. We isolated exosomes from VAT, characterized their content, and identified their potential targets. Targets included the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) pathway, which has been linked to NAFLD. We hypothesized that adipocyte exosomes would integrate into HepG2 and hepatic stellate cell lines and cause dysregulation of the TGF-ß pathway. METHODS: Exosomes from VAT from obese and lean patients were isolated and fluorescently labeled, then applied to cultured hepatic cell lines. After incubation, culture slides were imaged to detect exosome uptake. In separate experiments, exosomes were applied to cultured cells and incubated 48-h. Gene expression of TGF-ß pathway mediators was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction, and compared with cells, which were not exposed to exosomes. RESULTS: Fluorescent-labeled exosomes integrated into both cell types and deposited in a perinuclear distribution. Exosome exposure caused increased tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and integrin ανß-5 expression and decreased matrix metalloproteinase-7 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 expression in to HepG2 cells and increased expression of TIMP-1, TIMP-4, Smad-3, integrins ανß-5 and ανß-8, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in hepatic stellate cells. CONCLUSIONS: Exosomes from VAT integrate into liver cells and induce dysregulation of TGF-ß pathway members in vitro and offers an intriguing possibility for the pathogenesis of NAFLD.

Common Markers of Muscle Damage Are Associated with Divergent Gene Expression Patterns after Eccentric Contractions.

PURPOSE: Unaccustomed eccentric (ECC) exercise evokes exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Soreness, strength loss, and serum creatine kinase (CK) are often used to quantify EIMD severity. However, changes in these markers are not fully understood mechanistically. To test the hypothesis that muscle damage markers are associated with unique molecular processes, we correlated gene expression responses with variation in each marker post-ECC. METHODS: Vastus lateralis biopsies were collected from 35 young men 3 h post-ECC (10 sets of 10 maximal eccentric contractions; contralateral leg [CON] as control). Maximal isometric strength, soreness, and serum CK activity were assessed 24 h preexercise and every 24 h for 5 d post-ECC. Strength was also measured 10 min post-ECC. Over the 5 d after ECC, average peak strength loss was 51.5 ± 20%; average soreness increased from 0.9 ± 1.9 on a 100-mm visual analog scale to 39 ± 19; serum CK increased from 160 ± 130 to 1168 ± 3430 U·L -1 . Muscle RNA was used to generate gene expression profiles. Partek Genomics Suite correlated peak values of soreness, strength loss, and CK post-ECC with gene expression in ECC (relative to paired CON) using Pearson linear correlation ( P < 0.05) and repeated-measures ANOVA used to detect influence of ECC. RESULTS: After ECC, 2677 genes correlated with peak soreness, 3333 genes with peak strength loss, and 3077 genes with peak CK. Less than 1% overlap existed across all markers (16/9087). Unique genes included 2346 genes for peak soreness, 3032 genes for peak strength loss, and 2937 genes for peak CK. CONCLUSIONS: The largely unique molecular pathways associated with common indirect markers of EIMD indicate that each marker of "damage" represents unique mechanistic processes.

Consumption of sucralose- and acesulfame-potassium-containing diet soda alters the relative abundance of microbial taxa at the species level: findings of two pilot studies.

Sucralose and acesulfame-potassium consumption alters gut microbiota in rodents, with unclear effects in humans. We examined effects of three-times daily sucralose- and acesulfame-potassium-containing diet soda consumption for 1 (n = 17) or 8 (n = 8) weeks on gut microbiota composition in young adults. After 8 weeks of diet soda consumption, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, specifically Enterobacteriaceae, increased; and, increased abundance of two Proteobacteria taxa was also observed after 1 week of diet soda consumption compared with sparkling water. In addition, three taxa in the Bacteroides genus increased following 1 week of diet soda consumption compared with sparkling water. The clinical relevance of these findings and effects of sucralose and acesulfame-potassium consumption on human gut microbiota warrant further investigation in larger studies. Clinical trial registration: NCT02877186 and NCT03125356.

Acute Resistance Exercise Modifies Extracellular Vesicle miRNAs Targeting Anabolic Gene Pathways: A Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Resistance training confers numerous health benefits that are mediated in part by circulating factors. Toward an enhanced molecular understanding, there is growing interest in a class of signaling biomarkers called extracellular vesicles (EV). EVs support physiological adaptations to exercise by transporting their cargo (e.g., microRNA (miRNA)) to target cells. Previous studies of changes in EV cargo have focused on aerobic exercise, with limited data examining the effects of resistance exercise. We examined the effect of acute resistance exercise on circulating EV miRNAs and their predicted target pathways. METHODS: Ten participants (5 men; age, 26.9 ± 5.5 yr; height, 173.4 ± 10.5 cm; body mass, 74.0 ± 11.1 kg; body fat, 25.7% ± 11.6%) completed an acute heavy resistance exercise test (AHRET) consisting of six sets of 10 repetitions of back squats using 75% one-repetition maximum. Pre-/post-AHRET, EVs were isolated from plasma using size exclusion chromatography, and RNA sequencing was performed. Differentially expressed miRNAs between pre- and post-AHRET EVs were analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to predict target messenger RNAs and their target biological pathways. RESULTS: Overall, 34 miRNAs were altered by AHRET ( P < 0.05), targeting 4895 mRNAs, with enrichment of 175 canonical pathways ( P < 0.01), including 12 related to growth/metabolism (p53, IGF-I, STAT3, PPAR, JAK/STAT, growth hormone, WNT/ß-catenin, ERK/MAPK, AMPK, mTOR, and PI3K/AKT) and 8 to inflammation signaling (TGF-ß, IL-8, IL-7, IL-3, IL-6, IL-2, IL-17, IL-10). CONCLUSIONS: Acute resistance exercise alters EV miRNAs targeting pathways involved in growth, metabolism, and immune function. Circulating EVs may serve as significant adaptive signaling molecules influenced by exercise training.

Angiogenic potential of skeletal muscle derived extracellular vesicles differs between oxidative and glycolytic muscle tissue in mice.

Skeletal muscle fibers regulate surrounding endothelial cells (EC) via secretion of numerous angiogenic factors, including extracellular vesicles (SkM-EV). Muscle fibers are broadly classified as oxidative (OXI) or glycolytic (GLY) depending on their metabolic characteristics. OXI fibers secrete more pro-angiogenic factors and have greater capillary densities than GLY fibers. OXI muscle secretes more EV than GLY, however it is unknown whether muscle metabolic characteristics regulate EV contents and signaling potential. EVs were isolated from primarily oxidative or glycolytic muscle tissue from mice. MicroRNA (miR) contents were determined and endothelial cells were treated with OXI- and GLY-EV to investigate angiogenic signaling potential. There were considerable differences in miR contents between OXI- and GLY-EV and pathway analysis identified that OXI-EV miR were predicted to positively regulate multiple endothelial-specific pathways, compared to GLY-EV. OXI-EV improved in vitro angiogenesis, which may have been mediated through nitric oxide synthase (NOS) related pathways, as treatment of endothelial cells with a non-selective NOS inhibitor abolished the angiogenic benefits of OXI-EV. This is the first report to show widespread differences in miR contents between SkM-EV isolated from metabolically different muscle tissue and the first to demonstrate that oxidative muscle tissue secretes EV with greater angiogenic signaling potential than glycolytic muscle tissue.

Activation of nuclear factor-κB following muscle eccentric contractions in humans is localized primarily to skeletal muscle-residing pericytes.

Limited data exist on the molecular mechanisms that govern skeletal muscle regeneration in humans. This study characterized the early molecular alterations in humans to eccentric contractions (ECs), a stimulus known to induce a muscle regenerative response. Thirty-five subjects completed 100 ECs of the knee extensors with 1 leg, and muscle biopsies were taken from both legs 3 h post-EC. The sample from the non-EC leg served as the control. We first conducted a well-powered transcriptomic screen and network analysis. Our screen identified significant changes in several transcripts with functions relating to inflammation, cell growth, and proliferation. Network analysis then identified the transcription factor NF-κB as a key molecular element affected by ECs. A transcription factor ELISA, using nuclear extracts from EC and control muscle samples, showed a 1.6-fold increase in NF-κB DNA binding activity following ECs. Immunohistochemical experiments localized the majority of NF-κB-positive nuclei to cells in the interstitium, which stained positive for the pericyte markers NG2 proteoglycan and alkaline phosphatase. Our results provide the first evidence of NF-κB activation in human muscle following ECs and suggest a novel role for muscle residing pericytes in the early adaptive response to ECs.

Rheumatoid arthritis T cell and muscle oxidative metabolism associate with exercise-induced changes in cardiorespiratory fitness.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) T cells drive autoimmune features via metabolic reprogramming that reduces oxidative metabolism. Exercise training improves cardiorespiratory fitness (i.e., systemic oxidative metabolism) and thus may impact RA T cell oxidative metabolic function. In this pilot study of RA participants, we took advantage of heterogeneous responses to a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercise program to identify relationships between improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness with changes in peripheral T cell and skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism. In 12 previously sedentary persons with seropositive RA, maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests, fasting blood, and vastus lateralis biopsies were obtained before and after 10 weeks of HIIT. Following HIIT, improvements in RA cardiorespiratory fitness were associated with changes in RA CD4 + T cell basal and maximal respiration and skeletal muscle carnitine acetyltransferase (CrAT) enzyme activity. Further, changes in CD4 + T cell respiration were associated with changes in naïve CD4 + CCR7 + CD45RA + T cells, muscle CrAT, and muscle medium-chain acylcarnitines and fat oxidation gene expression profiles. In summary, modulation of cardiorespiratory fitness and molecular markers of skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism during exercise training paralleled changes in T cell metabolism. Exercise training that improves RA cardiorespiratory fitness may therefore be valuable in managing pathologically related immune and muscle dysfunction.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02528344. Registered on 19 August 2015.

Transcriptional deficits in oxidative phosphorylation with statin myopathy.

INTRODUCTION: Hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, or statins, are widely used drugs for hyperlipidemia and are generally well-tolerated, but the can produce skeletal muscle toxicity. The molecular mechanisms driving statin myopathy are unknown. We investigated the effects of statin treatment and eccentric (damaging) exercise on transcriptional patterns between statin myopathy (Sym; N = 9) and statin-tolerant subjects (Asym; N = 6). METHODS: Skeletal muscle biopsies were collected 6 h post-exercise at baseline and after statin treatment. Subjects performed concentric (non-damaging) exercise with one leg and concentric + eccentric exercise with the other leg using a cross-over design between time-points. RESULTS: Sym as compared with Asym demonstrated decreased skeletal muscle gene expression for oxidative phosphorylation-related and mitochondrial ribosomal protein genes before and after statin treatment with eccentric exercise. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that pre-existing deficiencies in energy production may contribute to the development of symptoms during statin therapy, especially when muscle is exposed to eccentric exercise.

The 1p13.3 LDL (C)-associated locus shows large effect sizes in young populations.

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified polymorphic loci associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors (i.e. serum lipids) in adult populations (42-69 y). We hypothesized that younger populations would show a greater relative genetic component due to fewer confounding variables. We examined the influence of 20 GWAS loci associated with serum lipids and insulin metabolism, in a university student cohort (n = 548; mean age = 24 y), and replicated statistically associated results in a second study cohort of primary school students (n = 810, mean age = 11.5 y). Nineteen loci showed no relationship with studied risk factors in young adults. However, the ancestral allele of the rs646776 (SORT1) locus was strongly associated with increased LDL (C) in young adults [TT: 97.6 ± 1.0 mg/dL (n = 345) versus CT/CC: 87.3 ± 1.0 mg/dL (n = 203); p = 3 × 10(x6)] and children [TT: 94.0 ± 1.3 mg/dL (n = 551) versus CT/CC: 84.7 ± 1.4 mg/dL (n = 259); p = 4 × 10(x6)]. This locus is responsible for 3.6% of population variance in young adults and 2.5% of population variance in children. The effect size of the SORT1 locus is considerably higher in young populations (2.5-4.1%) compared with older subjects (1%).

Systems Exercise Genetics Research Design Standards.

It is clear, based on a deep scientific literature base, that genetic and genomic factors play significant roles in determining a wide range of sport and exercise characteristics including exercise endurance capacity, strength, daily physical activity levels, and trainability of both endurance and strength. Although the research field of exercise systems genetics has rapidly expanded over the past two decades, many researchers publishing in this field are not extensively trained in molecular biology or genomics techniques, sometimes creating gaps in generating high-quality and cutting-edge research for publication. As current or former Associate Editors for Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise that have handled the majority of exercise genetics articles for Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise in the past 15 yr, we have observed a large number of scientific manuscripts submitted for publication review that have exhibited significant flaws preventing their publication; flaws that often directly stem from a lack of knowledge regarding the "state-of-the-art" methods and accepted literature base that is rapidly changing as the field evolves. The purpose of this commentary is to provide researchers-especially those coming from a nongenetics background attempting to publish in the exercise system genetics area-with recommendations regarding best-practice research standards and data analysis in the field of exercise systems genetics, to strengthen the overall literature in this important and evolving field of research.

Type 2 Diabetes Modifies Skeletal Muscle Gene Expression Response to Gastric Bypass Surgery.

Introduction: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) that can result in remission of clinical symptoms, yet mechanisms for improved skeletal muscle health are poorly understood. We sought to define the impact of existing T2DM on RYGB-induced muscle transcriptome changes. Methods: Vastus lateralis biopsy transcriptomes were generated pre- and 1-year post-RYGB in black adult females with (T2D; n = 5, age = 51 ± 6 years, BMI = 53.0 ± 5.8 kg/m2) and without (CON; n = 7, 43 ± 6 years, 51.0 ± 9.2 kg/m2) T2DM. Insulin, glucose, and HOMA-IR were measured in blood at the same time points. ANCOVA detected differentially expressed genes (p < 0.01, fold change < |1.2|), which were used to identify enriched biological pathways. Results: Pre-RYGB, 95 probes were downregulated with T2D including subunits of mitochondrial complex I. Post-RYGB, the T2D group had normalized gene expression when compared to their non-diabetic counterparts with only three probes remaining significantly different. In the T2D, we identified 52 probes upregulated from pre- to post-RYGB, including NDFUB7 and NDFUA1. Conclusion: Black females with T2DM show extensive downregulation of genes across aerobic metabolism pathways prior to RYGB, which resolves 1 year post-RYGB and is related to improvements in clinical markers. These data support efficacy of RYGB for improving skeletal muscle health, especially in patients with T2DM.