A low-intensity lifelong exercise routine changes miRNA expression in aging and prevents osteosarcopenic obesity by modulating inflammation

Atheroprotective roles of exercise-regulated microRNAs

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, with atherosclerosis (AS) serving as a critical underlying pathological process and major risk factor. Regular physical exercise is widely recognized as an effective strategy to reduce the risks and severity of AS, yet the precise molecular mechanisms through which exercise exerts its protective effects are still not fully understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), key regulators of gene expression, play integral roles in the progression of AS by influencing vascular function, lipid metabolism, and inflammation. The exercise-induced improvement of AS is a complex process, with miRNAs playing essential roles not only within cells and tissues but also circulating stably in the bloodstream as novel signaling molecules. These circulating miRNAs mediate communication between organs and tissues, acting as potential biomarkers that could provide deeper, systemic insights into the metabolic benefits of exercise. In this review, we explore recent advancements in our understanding of how exercise affects both intracellular and circulating miRNAs. We emphasize how exercise-regulated miRNAs contribute to endothelial function, promote lipid metabolism across various metabolic organs, and reduce monocyte-mediated systemic inflammation, while also addressing their role in alleviating frailty. Circulating miRNAs, which dynamically reflect tissue-specific responses to exercise, hold great promise as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for AS. Moreover, we discuss the challenges and future directions in this field, aiming to uncover how exercise-induced miRNA modulation could offer innovative therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of AS.

The Change of Skeletal Muscle Caused by Inflammation in Obesity as the Key Path to Fibrosis: Thoughts on Mechanisms and Intervention Strategies

Obesity leads to a chronic inflammatory state throughout the body, with increased infiltration of immune cells and inflammatory factors in skeletal muscle tissue, and, at the same time, the level of intracellular mitochondrial oxidative stress rises. Meanwhile, obesity is closely related to the development of skeletal muscle fibrosis and can affect the metabolic function of skeletal muscle, triggering metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, whether there is a mutual regulatory effect between the two pathological states of inflammation and fibrosis in obese skeletal muscle and the specific molecular mechanisms have not been fully clarified. This review focuses on the pathological changes of skeletal muscle inflammation and fibrosis induced by obesity, covering the metabolic changes it causes, such as lipid deposition, mitochondrial dysfunction, and dysregulation of inflammatory factors, aiming to reveal the intricate connections between the two. In terms of intervention strategies, aerobic exercise, dietary modification, and pharmacotherapy can improve skeletal muscle inflammation and fibrosis. This article provides insight into the important roles of inflammation and fibrosis in the treatment of obesity and the management of skeletal muscle diseases, aiming to provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of metabolic diseases such as obesity and IR.

Exploring the Relationship Between Gut Microbiota and Sarcopenia Based on Gut-Muscle Axis

Sarcopenia, as a disease characterized by progressive decline of quality, strength, and function of muscles, has posed an increasingly significant threat to the health of middle-aged and elderly individuals in recent years. With the continuous deepening of studies, the concept of gut-muscle axis has attracted widespread attention worldwide, and the occurrence and development of sarcopenia are believed to be closely related to the composition and functional alterations of gut microbiota. In this review, combined with existing literatures and clinical reports, we have summarized the role and impacts of gut microbiota on the muscle, the relevance between gut microbiota and sarcopenia, potential mechanisms of gut microbiota in the modulation of sarcopenia, potential methods to alleviate sarcopenia by modulating gut microbiota, and relevant advances and perspectives, thus contributing to adding more novel knowledge to this research direction and providing certain reference for future related studies.

Research Progress on the Effect and Mechanism of Exercise Intervention on Sarcopenia Obesity

With the increasingly severe situation of obesity and population aging, there is growing concern about sarcopenia obesity (SO). SO refers to the coexistence of obesity and sarcopenia, which imposes a heavier burden on individuals and society compared to obesity or sarcopenia alone. Therefore, comprehending the pathogenesis of SO and implementing effective clinical interventions are vital for its prevention and treatment. This review uses a comprehensive literature search and analysis of PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI databases, with search terms including "Sarcopenic obesity", "exercise", "cytokines", "inflammation", "mitochondrial quality control", and "microRNA", covering relevant studies published up to July 2024. The results indicate that the pathogenesis of SO is complex, involving mechanisms like age-related changes in body composition, hormonal alterations, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and genetic and epigenetic factors. Regarding exercise interventions for SO, aerobic exercise can reduce fat mass, resistance exercise can increase skeletal muscle mass and strength, and combined exercise can achieve both, making it the optimal intervention for SO. The potential mechanisms by which exercise may prevent and treat SO include regulating cytokine secretion, inhibiting inflammatory pathways, improving mitochondrial quality, and mediating microRNA expression. This review emphasizes the effectiveness of exercise interventions in mitigating sarcopenic obesity through comprehensive analysis of its multifactorial pathogenesis and the mechanistic insights into exercise's therapeutic effects. Understanding these mechanisms informs targeted therapeutic strategies aimed at alleviating the societal and individual burdens associated with SO.

Sarcopenic obesity and the impact on bone health

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Sarcopenic obesity is a newly identified pathological entity defined by an increase in body fat mass with an associated sarcopenia, characterized by loss of muscle mass, strength, and function. Recently, the concomitant presence of skeletal alteration with sarcopenic obesity has been described leading to a new clinical entity defined osteosarcopenic obesity (OSO). Many studies have tried to unravel the metabolic complex mechanism leading to this clinical entity in order to understand the pathophysiology of this complex condition with the aim of posing an early diagnosis to improve the therapeutic approaches. The purpose of this narrative review is to highlight and revise recent studies on this issue.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent research in the field of OSO has highlighted the role of nutrition and physical activity in the development and management of these conditions. While molecular and cellular pathways remain partially understood, there is a growing focus on lifestyle interventions as key factors in reducing the impact of OSO. These studies emphasize the need for early diagnosis and appropriate therapeutic strategies to improve quality of life and decrease morbidity and mortality associated with OSO.

SUMMARY

Although the pathophysiological pathways underlying OSO are not fully understood, the clinical implications underscore the need for expanded research in this field. This research is crucial for enabling early diagnosis and implementing effective therapeutic interventions, with the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality and enhancing quality of life.

CMS121: a novel approach to mitigate aging-related obesity and metabolic dysfunction

BACKGROUND

Modulated by differences in genetic and environmental factors, laboratory mice often show progressive weight gain, eventually leading to obesity and metabolic dyshomeostasis. Since the geroneuroprotector CMS121 has a positive effect on energy metabolism in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes, we investigated the potential of CMS121 to counteract the metabolic changes observed during the ageing process of wild type mice.

METHODS

Control or CMS121-containing diets were supplied ad libitum for 6 months, and mice were sacrificed at the age of 7 months. Blood, adipose tissue, and liver were analyzed for glucose, lipids, and protein markers of energy metabolism.

RESULTS

The CMS121 diet induced a 40% decrease in body weight gain and improved both glucose and lipid indexes. Lower levels of hepatic caspase 1, caspase 3, and NOX4 were observed with CMS121 indicating a lower liver inflammatory status. Adipose tissue from CMS121-treated mice showed increased levels of the transcription factors Nrf1 and TFAM, as well as markers of mitochondrial electron transport complexes, levels of GLUT4 and a higher resting metabolic rate. Metabolomic analysis revealed elevated plasma concentrations of short chain acylcarnitines and butyrate metabolites in mice treated with CMS121.

CONCLUSIONS

The diminished de novo lipogenesis, which is associated with increased acetyl-CoA, acylcarnitine, and butyrate metabolite levels, could contribute to safeguarding not only the peripheral system but also the aging brain. By mimicking the effects of ketogenic diets, CMS121 holds promise for metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes, since these diets are hard to follow over the long term.

Modulation of miR-146b Expression during Aging and the Impact of Physical Activity on Its Expression and Chondrogenic Progenitors

The finding of molecules associated with aging is important for the prevention of chronic degenerative diseases and for longevity strategies. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional regulators involved in many biological processes and miR-146b-5p has been shown to be involved in different degenerative diseases. However, miR-146b-5p modulation has not been evaluated in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) commitment or during aging. Therefore, the modulation of miR-146b-5p in the commitment and differentiation of mesenchymal cells as well as during maturation and aging in zebrafish model were analyzed. In addition, circulating miR-146b-5p was evaluated in human subjects at different age ranges. Thus, the role of physical activity in the modulation of miR-146b-5p was also investigated. To achieve these aims, RT (real-time)-PCR, Western blot, cell transfections, and three-dimensional (3D) culture techniques were applied. Our findings show that miR-146b-5p expression drives MSCs to adipogenic differentiation and increases during zebrafish maturation and aging. In addition, miR-146b-5p expression is higher in females compared to males and it is associated with the aging in humans. Interestingly, we also observed that the physical activity of walking downregulates circulating miR-146b-5p levels in human females and increases the number of chondroprogenitors. In conclusion, miR-146b-5p can be considered an age-related marker and can represent a useful marker for identifying strategies, such as physical activity, aimed at counteracting the degenerative processes of aging.

The Role of Nutrition in Osteosarcopenic Obesity: Lessons Learned during the Last 10 Years and Future Horizons

The term Osteosarcopenic Obesity (OSO) was introduced for the first time in 2014 by Ilic et al [...].