PGC-1α mediates exercise-induced skeletal muscle VEGF expression in mice

2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (1) ◽  
pp. E92-E103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotte Leick ◽  
Ylva Hellsten ◽  
Joachim Fentz ◽  
Stine S. Lyngby ◽  
Jørgen F. P. Wojtaszewski ◽  
...  

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that PGC-1α is required for exercise-induced VEGF expression in both young and old mice and that AMPK activation leads to increased VEGF expression through a PGC-1α-dependent mechanism. Whole body PGC-1α knockout (KO) and littermate wild-type (WT) mice were submitted to either 1) 5 wk of exercise training, 2) lifelong (from 2 to 13 mo of age) exercise training in activity wheel, 3) a single exercise bout, or 4) 4 wk of daily subcutaneous AICAR or saline injections. In skeletal muscle of PGC-1α KO mice, VEGF protein expression was ∼60–80% lower and the capillary-to-fiber ratio ∼20% lower than in WT. Basal VEGF mRNA expression was similar in WT and PGC-1α KO mice, but acute exercise and AICAR treatment increased the VEGF mRNA content in WT mice only. Exercise training of young mice increased skeletal muscle VEGF protein expression ∼50% in WT mice but with no effect in PGC-1α KO mice. Furthermore, a training-induced prevention of an age-associated decline in VEGF protein content was observed in WT but not in PGC-1α KO muscles. In addition, repeated AICAR treatments increased skeletal muscle VEGF protein expression ∼15% in WT but not in PGC-1α KO mice. This study shows that PGC-1α is essential for exercise-induced upregulation of skeletal muscle VEGF expression and for a training-induced prevention of an age-associated decline in VEGF protein content. Furthermore, the findings suggest an AMPK-mediated regulation of VEGF expression through PGC-1α.

2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (2) ◽  
pp. R397-R402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotte Jensen ◽  
Henriette Pilegaard ◽  
P. Darrell Neufer ◽  
Ylva Hellsten

The present study investigated the effect of an acute exercise bout on the mRNA response of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) splice variants in untrained and trained human skeletal muscle. Seven habitually active young men performed one-legged knee-extensor exercise training at an intensity corresponding to ∼70% of the maximal workload in an incremental test five times/week for 4 wk. Biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle of the trained and untrained leg 40 h after the last training session. The subjects then performed 3 h of two-legged knee-extensor exercise, and biopsies were obtained from both legs after 0, 2, 6, and 24 h of recovery. Real-time PCR was used to examine the expression of VEGF mRNA containing exon 1 and 2 (all VEGF isoforms), exon 6 or exon 7, and VEGF165mRNA. Acute exercise induced an increase ( P < 0.05) in total VEGF mRNA levels as well as VEGF165and VEGF splice variants containing exon 7 at 0, 2, and 6 h of recovery. The increase in VEGF mRNA was higher in the untrained than in the trained leg ( P < 0.05). The results suggest that in human skeletal muscle, acute exercise increases total VEGF mRNA, an increase that appears to be explained mainly by an increase in VEGF165mRNA. Furthermore, 4 wk of training attenuated the exercise-induced response in skeletal muscle VEGF165mRNA.


2015 ◽  
Vol 309 (11) ◽  
pp. E900-E914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim Fentz ◽  
Rasmus Kjøbsted ◽  
Caroline Maag Kristensen ◽  
Janne Rasmus Hingst ◽  
Jesper Bratz Birk ◽  
...  

Exercise training increases skeletal muscle expression of metabolic proteins improving the oxidative capacity. Adaptations in skeletal muscle by pharmacologically induced activation of 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) are dependent on the AMPKα2 subunit. We hypothesized that exercise training-induced increases in exercise capacity and expression of metabolic proteins, as well as acute exercise-induced gene regulation, would be compromised in muscle-specific AMPKα1 and -α2 double-knockout (mdKO) mice. An acute bout of exercise increased skeletal muscle mRNA content of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, glucose transporter 4, and VEGF in an AMPK-dependent manner, whereas cluster of differentiation 36 and fatty acid transport protein 1 mRNA content increased similarly in AMPKα wild-type (WT) and mdKO mice. During 4 wk of voluntary running wheel exercise training, the AMPKα mdKO mice ran less than WT. Maximal running speed was lower in AMPKα mdKO than in WT mice but increased similarly in both genotypes with exercise training. Exercise training increased quadriceps protein content of ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase core protein 1 (UQCRC1), cytochrome c, hexokinase II, plasma membrane fatty acid-binding protein, and citrate synthase activity more in AMPKα WT than in mdKO muscle. However, analysis of a subgroup of mice matched for running distance revealed that only UQCRC1 protein content increased more in WT than in mdKO mice with exercise training. Thus, AMPKα1 and -α2 subunits are important for acute exercise-induced mRNA responses of some genes and may be involved in regulating basal metabolic protein expression but seem to be less important in exercise training-induced adaptations in metabolic proteins.


2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (3) ◽  
pp. R1335-R1341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista R. Howarth ◽  
Kirsten A. Burgomaster ◽  
Stuart M. Phillips ◽  
Martin J. Gibala

The branched-chain oxoacid dehydrogenase complex (BCOAD) is rate determining for the oxidation of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in skeletal muscle. Exercise training blunts the acute exercise-induced activation of BCOAD (BCOADa) in human skeletal muscle (McKenzie S, Phillips SM, Carter SL, Lowther S, Gibala MJ, Tarnopolsky MA. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 278: E580–E587, 2000); however, the mechanism is unknown. We hypothesized that training would increase the muscle protein content of BCOAD kinase, the enzyme responsible for inactivation of BCOAD by phosphorylation. Twenty subjects [23 ± 1 yr; peak oxygen uptake (V̇o2peak) = 41 ± 2 ml·kg−1·min−1] performed 6 wk of either high-intensity interval or continuous moderate-intensity training on a cycle ergometer ( n = 10/group). Before and after training, subjects performed 60 min of cycling at 65% of pretraining V̇o2peak, and needle biopsy samples (vastus lateralis) were obtained before and immediately after exercise. The effect of training was demonstrated by an increased V̇o2peak, increased citrate synthase maximal activity, and reduced muscle glycogenolysis during exercise, with no difference between groups (main effects, P < 0.05). BCOADa was lower after training (main effect, P < 0.05), and this was associated with a ∼30% increase in BCOAD kinase protein content (main effect, P < 0.05). We conclude that the increased protein content of BCOAD kinase may be involved in the mechanism for reduced BCOADa after exercise training in human skeletal muscle. These data also highlight differences in models used to study the regulation of skeletal muscle BCAA metabolism, since exercise training was previously reported to increase BCOADa during exercise and decrease BCOAD kinase content in rats (Fujii H, Shimomura Y, Murakami T, Nakai N, Sato T, Suzuki M, Harris RA. Biochem Mol Biol Int 44: 1211–1216, 1998).


Author(s):  
Nanna Skytt Pilmark ◽  
Laura Oberholzer ◽  
Jens Frey Halling ◽  
Jonas M. Kristensen ◽  
Christina Pedersen Bønding ◽  
...  

Metformin and exercise both improve glycemic control, but in vitro studies have indicated that an interaction between metformin and exercise occurs in skeletal muscle, suggesting a blunting effect of metformin on exercise training adaptations. Two studies (a double-blind, parallel-group, randomized clinical trial conducted in 29 glucose-intolerant individuals and a double-blind, cross-over trial conducted in 15 healthy lean males) were included in this paper. In both studies, the effect of acute exercise +/- metformin treatment on different skeletal muscle variables, previously suggested to be involved in a pharmaco-physiological interaction between metformin and exercise, was assessed. Furthermore, in the parallel-group trial, the effect of 12 weeks of exercise training was assessed. Skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained before and after acute exercise and 12 weeks of exercise training, and mitochondrial respiration, oxidative stress and AMPK activation was determined. Metformin did not significantly affect the effects of acute exercise or exercise training on mitochondrial respiration, oxidative stress or AMPK activation, indicating that the response to acute exercise and exercise training adaptations in skeletal muscle is not affected by metformin treatment. Further studies are needed to investigate whether an interaction between metformin and exercise is present in other tissues, e.g. the gut. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03316690 and NCT02951260). Novelty bullets • Metformin does not affect exercise-induced alterations in mitochondrial respiratory capacity in human skeletal muscle • Metformin does not affect exercise-induced alterations in systemic levels of oxidative stress nor emission of reactive oxygen species from human skeletal muscle • Metformin does not affect exercise-induced AMPK activation in human skeletal muscle


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-33
Author(s):  
J. Suzuki

This study was designed to investigate exercise-induced changes in muscle capillarisation, the mRNA expression of angiogenic genes, and microRNA levels in young and middle-aged rats. Rats in the training groups were subjected to treadmill running 5 days a week for 3 weeks. The exercise protocol for the young (12-week old) group was 20-25 m/min, 40-60 min/day with a gradient of 15%, and for the middle-aged (12-month old) group was 18-20 m/min, 40-60 min/day with a gradient of 5%. The enzyme histochemical identification of capillary profiles was performed on cross-sections of gastrocnemius muscle. Total RNA was isolated, reverse transcription was performed, and mRNA and microRNA levels were determined by real-time PCR. The capillary-to-fibre ratio was significantly increased by exercise training in the young group (by 10%), but only slightly in the middle-aged (by 5%) group. Vascular endothecial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA levels were at significantly higher values after acute exercise (1.6-fold) and the 3-week training protocol (1.9-fold) in the young group, but not in the middle-aged group. VEGF protein expression levels were significantly increased after training in the young group only. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase, VEGF-R2 and thrombospondin-1 mRNA levels were significantly lower in the middle-aged group than in the young group. Anti-angiogenic miR-195 levels were significantly enhanced by exercise training in the middle-aged group only. These results indicated that the exercise-induced adaptation of muscle capillarity was attenuated in middle-aged rats, possibly by the lower induction of VEGF and up-regulation of anti-angiogenic miRNA expression.


1999 ◽  
Vol 277 (6) ◽  
pp. H2247-H2252 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Richardson ◽  
H. Wagner ◽  
S. R. D. Mudaliar ◽  
R. Henry ◽  
E. A. Noyszewski ◽  
...  

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is involved in extracellular matrix changes and endothelial cell proliferation, both of which are precursors to new capillary growth. Angiogenesis is a vital adaptation to exercise training, and the exercise-induced reduction in intracellular[Formula: see text] has been proposed as a stimulus for this process. Thus we studied muscle cell[Formula: see text] [myoglobin[Formula: see text]([Formula: see text])] during exercise in normoxia and in hypoxia (12% O2) and studied the mRNA levels of VEGF in six untrained subjects after a single bout of exercise by quantitative Northern analysis. Single-leg knee extension provided the acute exercise stimulus: a maximal test followed by 30 min at 50% of the peak work rate achieved in this graded test. Because peak work rate was not affected by hypoxia, the absolute and relative work rates were identical in hypoxia and normoxia. Three pericutaneous needle biopsies were collected from the vastus lateralis muscle, one at rest and then the others at 1 h after exercise in normoxia or hypoxia. At rest (control), VEGF mRNA levels were very low (0.38 ± 0.04 VEGF/18S). After exercise in normoxia or hypoxia, VEGF mRNA levels were much greater (16.9 ± 6.7 or 7.1 ± 1.8 VEGF/18S, respectively). In contrast, there was no measurable basic fibroblast growth factor mRNA response to exercise at this 1-h postexercise time point. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of myoglobin confirmed a reduction in[Formula: see text] in hypoxia (3.8 ± 0.3 mmHg) compared with normoxia (7.2 ± 0.6 mmHg) but failed to reveal a relationship between [Formula: see text] during exercise and VEGF expression. This VEGF mRNA increase in response to acute exercise supports the concept that VEGF is involved in exercise-induced skeletal muscle angiogenesis but questions the importance of a reduced cellular [Formula: see text]as a stimulus for this response.


Diabetologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy E. Mendham ◽  
Julia H. Goedecke ◽  
Yingxu Zeng ◽  
Steen Larsen ◽  
Cindy George ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims/hypothesis We sought to determine putative relationships among improved mitochondrial respiration, insulin sensitivity and altered skeletal muscle lipids and metabolite signature in response to combined aerobic and resistance training in women with obesity. Methods This study reports a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial including additional measures of mitochondrial respiration, skeletal muscle lipidomics, metabolomics and protein content. Women with obesity were randomised into 12 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance exercise training (n = 20) or control (n = 15) groups. Pre- and post-intervention testing included peak oxygen consumption, whole-body insulin sensitivity (intravenous glucose tolerance test), skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiration (high-resolution respirometry), lipidomics and metabolomics (mass spectrometry) and lipid content (magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy). Proteins involved in glucose transport (i.e. GLUT4) and lipid turnover (i.e. sphingomyelin synthase 1 and 2) were assessed by western blotting. Results The original randomised controlled trial showed that exercise training increased insulin sensitivity (median [IQR]; 3.4 [2.0–4.6] to 3.6 [2.4–6.2] x10−5 pmol l−1 min−1), peak oxygen consumption (mean ± SD; 24.9 ± 2.4 to 27.6 ± 3.4 ml kg−1 min−1), and decreased body weight (84.1 ± 8.7 to 83.3 ± 9.7 kg), with an increase in weight (pre intervention, 87.8± 10.9 to post intervention 88.8 ± 11.0 kg) in the control group (interaction p < 0.05). The current study shows an increase in mitochondrial respiration and content in response to exercise training (interaction p < 0.05). The metabolite and lipid signature at baseline were significantly associated with mitochondrial respiratory capacity (p < 0.05) but were not associated with whole-body insulin sensitivity or GLUT4 protein content. Exercise training significantly altered the skeletal muscle lipid profile, increasing specific diacylglycerol(32:2) and ceramide(d18:1/24:0) levels, without changes in other intermediates or total content of diacylglycerol and ceramide. The total content of cardiolipin, phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) increased with exercise training with a decrease in the PC:PE ratios containing 22:5 and 20:4 fatty acids. These changes were associated with content-driven increases in mitochondrial respiration (p < 0.05), but not with the increase in whole-body insulin sensitivity or GLUT4 protein content. Exercise training increased sphingomyelin synthase 1 (p < 0.05), with no change in plasma-membrane-located sphingomyelin synthase 2. Conclusions/interpretation The major findings of our study were that exercise training altered specific intramuscular lipid intermediates, associated with content-driven increases in mitochondrial respiration but not whole-body insulin sensitivity. This highlights the benefits of exercise training and presents putative target pathways for preventing lipotoxicity in skeletal muscle, which is typically associated with the development of type 2 diabetes. Graphical abstract


2000 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 1192-1198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy P. Gavin ◽  
David A. Spector ◽  
Harrieth Wagner ◽  
Ellen C. Breen ◽  
Peter D. Wagner

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) mRNA increase in rat skeletal muscle in response to a single acute exercise bout. Nitric oxide (NO) is released locally by muscle vascular endothelium and muscle fibers during exercise, contributes to the blood flow response to exercise, and regulates mitochondrial respiration. We hypothesized that a reduction in NO production, via NO synthase inhibition, would demonstrate a link between NO and the VEGF, bFGF, and TGF-β1 gene responses to exercise. To investigate this hypothesis, 9-wk-old female Wistar rats were divided into eight treatment groups ( n = 6 each): 1) saline + rest, 2) saline + exercise, 3) 30 mg/kg N ω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME, a known NOS inhibitor) + rest, 4) 30 mg/kgl-NAME + exercise, 5) 300 mg/kg l-NAME + rest, 6) 300 mg/kg l-NAME + exercise, 7) 300 mg/kg N ω-nitro-d-arginine methyl ester (d-NAME, inactive enantiomer of l-NAME) + rest, and 8) 300 mg/kg d-NAME + exercise. Exercise consisted of 1 h of running at 20 m/min on a 10° incline. VEGF, TGF-β1, and bFGF mRNA from left gastrocnemius were analyzed by quantitative Northern blot. Submaximal exercise for 1 h increased VEGF mRNA 4.2-fold and TGF-β1 mRNA 1.5-fold in untreated rats but did not increase bFGF mRNA. The exercise-induced increase in VEGF mRNA was attenuated ∼50% by 30 and 300 mg/kgl-NAME; the TGF-β1 mRNA increase was unaffected by 300 mg/kg l-NAME. In addition, 300 mg/kgd-NAME had no effect on the exercise-induced increase in VEGF mRNA. Administration of 300 mg/kg l-NAME had no effect on bFGF mRNA. These findings suggest that NO is important in the regulation of the VEGF gene response to exercise through increases in VEGF transcription or by increases in the VEGF mRNA half-life.


2006 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas A. Ryan ◽  
Kevin A. Zwetsloot ◽  
Lenna M. Westerkamp ◽  
Robert C. Hickner ◽  
Walter E. Pofahl ◽  
...  

Recently, we observed that muscle capillarization, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein, and the VEGF mRNA response to acute exercise were lower in aged compared with young women (Croley AN, Zwetsloot KA, Westerkamp LM, Ryan NA, Pendergast aged men, Hickner RC, Pofahl WE, and Gavin TP. J Appl Physiol 99: 1875–1882, 2005). We hypothesized that similar age-related differences in muscle capillarization and VEGF expression would exist between young and aged men. Skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis before and at 4 h after a submaximal exercise bout for the measurement of morphometry, capillarization, VEGF, KDR, and Flt-1 in seven aged (mean age 65 yr) and eight young (mean age 21 yr) sedentary men. In aged compared with young men, muscle capillary contacts and capillary-to-fiber perimeter exchange index were lower regardless of fiber type. Muscle VEGF mRNA and protein were lower in aged men both at rest and 4 h postexercise. Exercise increased muscle VEGF mRNA and protein and KDR mRNA independent of age group. There were no effects of exercise or age on muscle Flt-1 mRNA or protein or KDR protein. These results confirm that skeletal muscle capillarization and VEGF expression are lower in aged compared with young men.


2010 ◽  
Vol 108 (6) ◽  
pp. 1719-1726 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. D. Wadley ◽  
G. K. McConell

High doses of the antioxidant vitamin C prevent the increases in skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis after exercise training. Since exercise training effects rely on the acute stimulus of each exercise bout, we examined whether vitamin C supplementation also attenuates the increases in skeletal muscle metabolic signaling and mitochondrial biogenesis in response to an acute exercise bout. Male Sprague-Dawley rats performed 60 min of treadmill running (27 m/min, 5% grade) or remained sedentary. For 7 days before this, one-half of the rats received water containing 500 mg/kg body wt vitamin C. Acute exercise significantly ( P < 0.05) increased the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, AMP-activated kinase-α, and activating transcription factor (ATF)-2 and the ratio of oxidized to total glutathione (GSSG/TGSH) in the gastrocnemius. However, vitamin C had no effect on these increases. Similarly, vitamin C did not prevent the exercise-induced increases in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α, nuclear respiratory factor (NRF)-1, NRF-2, mitochondrial transcription factor A, glutathione peroxidase-1, MnSOD, extracellular SOD, or glucose transporter 4 ( P < 0.05) mRNA after exercise. Surprisingly, vitamin C supplementation significantly increased the basal levels of GSSG/TGSH, NRF-1, and NRF-2 mRNA and basal ATF-2 phosphorylation. In summary, despite other studies in rats showing that vitamin C supplementation prevents increases in skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and antioxidant enzymes with exercise training, vitamin C had no affect on the acute exercise-induced increases of these markers.


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