Research advances in the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty fiver disease and sarcopenia / 中华肝脏病杂志

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the common causes for chronic liver diseases, which progress gradually from nonalcoholic type simple fatty liver disease to hepatitis, cirrhosis and even liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. Sarcopenia is a progressive disease characterized by reduced skeletal muscle mass and function in association to metabolic dysfunctions. Recent studies have shown that the occurrence and development of NAFLD and sarcopenia are related, and there is a common base for the pathogenesis between the two, which may promote each other for mutual risk factors. This article reviews the current research progress of this field in order to clinically further understand the pathogenesis and intrinsic links between the two to look for appropriate interventions.

Actualizaciones sobre "Irisina": la nueva mioquina / Irisin updates: the new myokine

In the continuous search of researchers to find an effective method to control obesity, a myokine called Irisin was found. Irisin is secreted mainly by skeletal muscle in response to exercise, either resistance, strength or high intensity, where High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is included. This polypeptide hormone acts mainly on subcutaneous adipose cells, turning white fat into brown fat. Brown fat is highly thermogenic, which enhance raising of total energy expenditure and helps maintaining or loosing corporal weight. Plasmatic Irisin levels are related positively with insulin sensitivity and weight loss. It has been also discovered that a greater plasmatic level of Irisin is related to the lengthening of telomeres, to a greater concentration of free tyrosine (T4) and it has been recently found that is related to an antitumoral effect on some types of cancer. All of the functions mediated by Irisin, have given it a protective action against different diseases, especially metabolic ones. The aim of this review was to update the knowledge about Irisin, and to show the effects that exercise has on its plasmatic levels, as well as comprehend how does the release of irisin influences different body systems. Counting with more information will allow the arising of new lines of investigation that will bring up non pharmacological therapeutic strategies for the treatment of non-communicable diseases.

En la búsqueda continua de los investigadores por combatir de manera más efectiva la obesidad, se descubre una mioquina llamada Irisina. La Irisina es secretada principalmente por el músculo esquelético en respuesta al ejercicio, ya sea aeróbico, de fuerza o de alta intensidad, donde se incluyen, ejercicios de intervalo de alta intensidad (HIIT). Esta hormona polipeptídica actúa principalmente sobre células adiposas subcutáneas, transformando grasa blanca en grasa parda. La grasa parda es altamente termogénica, lo que favorece el aumento del gasto energético total y ayuda a mantener o incluso a perder peso corporal. La concentración de Irisina plasmática se relaciona positivamente con la sensibilidad a la insulina y la pérdida de peso. Además, se ha descubierto que una mayor concentración de Irisina plasmática se relaciona con el alargamiento de los telómeros, y también, con una mayor concentración de T4 libre y con un recién descubierto efecto antitumoral en algunos tipos de cáncer. Todas las funciones mediadas por la Irisina, le atribuyen una acción protectora contra distintas enfermedades, especialmente metabólicas. El objetivo de esta revisión fue actualizar el conocimiento sobre la Irisina, evidenciando los efectos que tiene la realización de ejercicio sobre los niveles plasmáticos de ésta, así como también comprender como su liberación influye en distintos sistemas corporales. El contar con mayor información dará paso a nuevas líneas de investigación y permitirá contar con estrategias terapéuticas no farmacológicas que contribuyan en el tratamiento de enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles.

Connecting Myokines and Metabolism

Skeletal muscle is the largest organ of the body in non-obese individuals and is now considered to be an endocrine organ. Hormones (myokines) secreted by skeletal muscle mediate communications between muscle and liver, adipose tissue, brain, and other organs. Myokines affect muscle mass and myofiber switching, and have profound effects on glucose and lipid metabolism and inflammation, thus contributing to energy homeostasis and the pathogenesis of obesity, diabetes, and other diseases. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the biology of myokines and provide an assessment of their potential as therapeutic targets.

Effects of aged garlic extract and endurance exercise on skeletal muscle FNDC-5 and circulating irisin in high-fat-diet rat models

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Irisin, a newly identified hormone, is associated with energy homeostasis. We investigated whether aged garlic extract (AGE) and exercise training intervention could improve body weight, insulin sensitivity, skeletal muscle fibronectin domain containing protein 5 (FNDC-5) levels, and plasma irisin in high-fat diet (HFD). MATERIALS/METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a ND (normal diet, n = 5) or HFD (n = 28) for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, all rats were divided into 5 groups for the next 4 weeks: ND, (normal diet, n = 5), HFD (high-fat diet, n = 7), HFDA (high-fat diet + aged garlic extract, n = 7), HFDE (high-fat diet + exercise, n = 7), and HFDEA (high-fat diet + exercise + aged garlic extract, n = 7). Exercise groups performed treadmill exercises for 15-60 min, 5 days/week, and AGE groups received AGE (2.86 g/kg, orally injected) for 4 weeks. RESULTS: Significant decreases in body weight were observed in the ND, HFDE, and HFDEA groups, as compared with the HFD group. Neither intervention affected the masses of the gastrocnemius muscle or liver. There were no significant differences in glucose levels across the groups. The homeostatic model assessments of insulin resistance were significantly higher in the HFD group, as compared with the ND, HFDA, HFDE, and HFDEA groups. However, skeletal muscle FNDC-5 levels and plasma irisin concentrations were unaffected by AGE or exercise in obese rats. AGE supplementation and exercise training did not affect skeletal muscle FNDC-5 or plasma irisin, which are associated with insulin sensitivity in obese rats. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the protection against HFD-induced increases in body fat/weight and insulin resistance that are provided by AGE supplementation and exercise training may not be mediated by the regulation of FNDC-5 or irisin.

Possibility of the novel myokine SPARC: A mechanistic approach to colon cancer prevention by physical exercise / 体力科学

Growing evidence has shown that skeletal muscle secretes several bioactive proteins from the cell into extracellular fluid. The secretion of several proteins, whose levels increase in response to exercise, can regulate the functions of several organs via autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine actions, and mediate exercise-induced benefits such as metabolic improvement, anti-inflammation, and muscle building; this is known as the myokine theory. These secretory proteins may be biomarkers that reflect muscular function and beneficial adaptation achieved by exercise training, and could estimate adequate condition of exercise to obtain its beneficial effects. Recently, we found a novel myokine, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), a secreted matricellular glycoprotein. In a colon cancer mouse model, regular exercise reduced the formation of the precursor lesions of colon adenocarcinoma in wild-type mice but not SPARC-null mice. Furthermore, regular exercise enhanced apoptosis in colon mucosal cells and increased the cleaved form of caspase in wild-type mice but not SPARC-null mice. The muscle-secreted protein SPARC can support underlying mechanisms of epidemiological studies that suggest that regular exercise prevents the incidence of colon cancer.