Circulating microRNAs are upregulated following acute aerobic exercise in obese individuals

• Published in: Physiology & behavior Vol. 197; pp. 15 - 21
• Main Authors: Bao, Fanchen, Slusher, Aaron L., Whitehurst, Michael, Huang, Chun-Jung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2018
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; altitude; Biomarkers - blood; blood sampling; cardiorespiratory fitness; Circulating microRNA; Circulating MicroRNA - blood; Exercise; Exercise - physiology; Female; gene expression regulation; Humans; Inflammation; insulin resistance; Male; metabolic syndrome; metabolism; microRNA; non-coding RNA; Obesity; Obesity - blood; Obesity - immunology; peak oxygen uptake; Physical activity; Young Adult; Obesity; Inflammation; Exercise; Physical activity; Circulating microRNA
• ISSN: 0031-9384; 1873-507X; 1873-507X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.09.011

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of non-coding RNAs, are involved in the regulation of gene expression and numerous biological processes, including inflammation and metabolism in obese populations. Emerging research indicates that physical activity provides health-related benefits in obesity-associated inflammatory diseases. This study examined how acute aerobic exercise would mediate the changes in plasma level of inflammation-related circulating miRNA (ci-miRNA) expression (miR-21, miR-126, miR-130b, miR-221, and miR-222) in obese and normal-weight subjects. Twenty-four subjects (12 obese and 12 normal-weight) were recruited to participate in a 30-min aerobic exercise (75% VO2max). Blood samples were taken prior to exercise, immediately following exercise, 1 h, and 2 h into recovery for analysis of target ci-miRNAs in plasma. A higher baseline levels of ci-miRNAs (miR-126, miR-130b, miR-221, and miR-222) were found in obese subjects than normal-weight subjects. In response to acute aerobic exercise, obese subjects exhibited a higher increase in plasma level of all ci-miRNAs: miR-21, miR-126, miR-130b, miR-221 and miR-222, even after controlling for VO2max and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Furthermore, all miRNA area-under-the curves “with respect to increase” (AUCi) were higher in obese subjects and also positively correlated with each other, even after controlling for VO2max and HOMA-IR. These findings indicate that acute aerobic exercise elicits a higher elevation in plasma level of inflammatory ci-miRNAs in obese than normal-weight individuals, irrespective of cardiorespiratory fitness and indicator of metabolic syndrome (HOMA-IR). •Acute aerobic exercise up-regulates inflammation-associated ci-miRNAs in obesity.•Up-regulation of target ci-miRNAs is positively correlated with each other.•ci-miRNAs might have the potential to predict the effectiveness of exercise treatment in obese Individuals.