Aerobic exercise attenuates high-fat diet-induced renal injury through kidney metabolite modulation in mice.

PURPOSE: To investigate the preventive effect of aerobic exercise on renal damage caused by obesity. METHODS: The mice in the Control (Con) and Control + Exercise (Con + Ex) groups received a standard chow diet for the 21-week duration of the study, while the High-fat diet (HFD) group and High-fat diet + Exercise (HFD + Ex) group were fed an HFD. Mice were acclimated to the laboratory for 1 week, given 12 weeks of being on their respective diets, and then the Con + Ex and HFD + Ex groups were subjected to moderate intensity aerobic treadmill running 45 min/day, 5 days/week for 8 weeks. RESULTS: We found that HFD-induced obesity mainly impacts kidney glycerin phospholipids, glycerides, and fatty acyls, and aerobic exercise mainly impacts kidney glycerides, amino acids and organic acids as well as their derivatives. We identified 18 metabolites with significantly altered levels that appear to be involved in aerobic exercise mediated prevention of HFD-induced obesity and renal damage, half of which were amino acids and organic acids and their derivatives. CONCLUSION: Aerobic exercise rewires kidney metabolites to reduce high-fat diet-induced obesity and renal injury.

Relationships between muscle strength, lung function, and cognitive function in Chinese middle-aged and older adults: A study based on the China health and retirement longitudinal study (CHARLS).

OBJECTIVE: As the population ages, concerns about cognitive decline have become increasingly relevant in medical consultations. This study aims to analyze the interaction between muscle strength, lung function, and cognitive function in Chinese middle-aged and older adults, providing a theoretical basis for better prevention of cognitive decline. METHODS: This study used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) wave 3, including 13 716 participants aged 45 years or older. Cognitive function was assessed through two dimensions, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 31 points, with higher scores indicating better cognitive function. Muscle strength was measured using normalized grip strength and chair-standing time, while lung function was evaluated using peak expiratory flow (PEF). RESULTS: Total cognitive function scores exhibited significant correlations with grip strength, chair-standing time, and PEF. Muscle strength and lung function demonstrated significant associations with cognitive function, with lung function emerging as a notable mediating factor. This relationship persisted even after adjusting for potential confounding variables. Specifically, PEF played a substantial mediating role in linking grip strength to cognitive function scores (estimated indirect effect = 0.0132, boot-strapped standard error = 0.0015, boot-strapped standard 95% confidence interval = 0.0104, 0.0162). Additionally, PEF served as a significant mediator in the association between chair-standing time and cognitive function scores (estimated indirect effect = -0.0204, boot-strapped standard error = 0.0023, boot-strapped standard 95% confidence interval = -0.0251, -0.0159). CONCLUSION: The study highlights the importance of addressing declines in muscle strength and lung function to identify risk factors associated with cognitive function. Understanding these relationships can provide insights into potential pathways linking these variables and may aid in better prevention of cognitive decline. Further long-term longitudinal cohort studies are needed to explore the causality between these factors.

Transcriptome analysis provides insights into high fat diet-induced kidney injury and moderate intensity continuous training-mediated protective effects.

Although physics exercise has been utilized to prevent and treat a variety of metabolic diseases, its role in obesity-related kidney diseases remains poorly understood. In this study, we assessed the protective potential of moderate intensity continuous training (MICT) against high fat diet (HFD)-induced kidney injury and found that MICT could significantly reduce obesity indexes (body weight, serum glucose, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol) and kidney injury indexes (serum creatinine and the expression of Kim-1 mRNA) in HFD-fed mice. PAS staining and Masson staining displayed that MICT maintained the morphological structure of kidney subunits and reduced kidney fibrosis in HFD-fed mice. By kidney RNA-seq, we identified several genes and pathways (Cd9, Foxq1, Mier3, TGF-ß signaling pathway etc.) that might underlie HFD-induced kidney injury and MICT-mediated protective effects. In conclusion, this study revealed the protective role of MICT in HFD-induced kidney injury and suggested potential targets for the prevention and treatment of obesity-related kidney diseases.

Relationship between Locomotive Syndrome and Musculoskeletal Pain and Generalized Joint Laxity in Young Chinese Adults.

This study aims to investigate the prevalence of locomotive syndrome (LS) and to examine the relationship of LS with musculoskeletal symptoms (pain, generalized joint laxity (GJL)) in young Chinese adults. Our study population (n = 157; mean age of 19.8 ± 1.2 years) comprises college student residents at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Three screening methods were used to evaluate LS: 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25), a two-step test, and a stand-up test. Musculoskeletal pain was assessed by self-report and visual analog scale (VAS), and joint body laxity was evaluated using the GJL test. The prevalence of LS was 21.7% of all participants. Musculoskeletal pain affected 77.8% of the college students with LS and was strongly associated with LS. A total of 55.0% of college students with LS had four or more site joints that were positive for GJL, and higher scores of GJL were associated with a higher prevalence rate of LS. Young Chinese college students have a relatively high prevalence of LS, and musculoskeletal pain and GJL were significantly related to LS. The present results suggest that we need early screening of musculoskeletal symptoms and LS health education in young adults to prevent the mobility limitations of LS in the future.

Morphological Study of the Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Organs and Arteries in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

Hypertension is usually accompanied by the impairment of organs and arteries, and seriously threatens human health. Aerobic exercise can effectively prevent and treat hypertension. However, the mechanism of exercise therapy in hypertension is still unclear. In this study, we explored how aerobic exercise effectively reversed the impairment of the heart, kidney, and arteries caused by hypertension through a pathomorphological perspective. Spontaneously hypertensive rats were subjected to fifteen weeks of 45 min and 90 min swimming training without weight, and we then tested the effect of exercise on the morphology and structure of the heart, kidney, iliac artery, and branch of the mesenteric artery. We found that the myocardial fibers became thinner, the cross-sectional area of myocardial cells decreased, and cardiomyocyte edema disappeared after 45 min of aerobic exercise. Additionally, the pathological microstructure of glomeruli and renal tubules were improved. At the same time, aerobic exercise could also reverse the morphology and structure of arteries and mesenteric artery branches in spontaneously hypertensive rats.