Editorial: Inter-organ crosstalk during exercise in health and disease: Extracellular vesicles as new kids on the block

Within exercise physiology, the study of factors potentially mediating interorgan crosstalk during and after exercise is a fascinating field of research. As exercise activates a plethora of metabolic pathways in several tissues, organs and systems, examining the underlying biological mechanisms contributing to exercise related metabolic benefits is imperative. Since two decades, the skeletal muscle is known to secrete humoral factors into the circulation in response to exercise, originally described as “myokines” by Pedersen et al. (2003). These myokines are now well known and extensively studied in the field of exercise science (Pedersen and Febbraio, 2012). Interestingly, exercise also triggers other metabolic organs to release similar factors arising from the heart, liver, white and brown adipose tissue, and the nervous system (Chow et al., 2022). These “exerkines” (Safdar et al., 2016) have been recognized to comprise an extensive range of biologically active signalling molecules, including cytokines, lipids, metabolites and (noncoding) nucleic acids, as recently reviewed (Chow et al., 2022)

Impact of exercise-nutritional state interactions in patients with type 2 diabetes

Introduction This study examines the role of nutritional status during exercise training in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by investigating the effect of endurance-type exercise training in the fasted versus the fed state on clinical outcome measures, glycemic control, and skeletal muscle characteristics in male type 2 diabetes patients. Methods Twenty-five male patients (glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), 57 ± 3 mmol·mol−1 (7.4% ± 0.3%)) participated in a randomized 12-wk supervised endurance-type exercise intervention, with exercise being performed in an overnight-fasted state (n = 13) or after consuming breakfast (n = 12). Patients were evaluated for glycemic control, blood lipid profiles, body composition and physical fitness, and skeletal muscle gene expression. Results Exercise training was well tolerated without any incident of hypoglycemia. Exercise training significantly decreased whole-body fat mass (−1.6 kg) and increased high-density lipoprotein concentrations (+2 mg·dL−1), physical fitness (+1.7 mL·min−1·kg−1), and fat oxidation during exercise in both groups (PTIME 0.05). HbA1c concentrations significantly decreased after exercise training (PTIME < 0.001), with a significant greater reduction after consuming breakfast (−0.30% ± 0.06%) compared with fasted state (−0.08% ± 0.06%; mean difference, 0.21%; PTIME × GROUP = 0.016). No interaction effects were observed for skeletal muscle genes related to lipid metabolism or oxidative capacity. Conclusions Endurance-type exercise training in the fasted or fed state do not differ in their efficacy to reduce fat mass, increase fat oxidation capacity, and increase cardiorespiratory fitness and high-density lipoprotein concentrations or their risk of hypoglycemia in male patients with type 2 diabetes. HbA1c seems to be improved more with exercise performed in the postprandial compared with the postabsorptive state

The renewable energy and energy efficiency potential of Waitakere City : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Technology in Energy Management at Massey University

Electricity restrictions and blackouts have occurred in Waitakere City in the past and are likely to occur again in the future unless the city can become more self reliant by meeting, at least in part, the increasing energy requirements for what is one of the fastest growing cities in New Zealand. In this study the potentials for energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy resources have been broadly quantified and assessed using desktop analysis of publicly available data for stationary final use energy systems (i.e. excluding transportation) within the geographical area of Waitakere City and adjoining waters. It was found that energy efficiency and energy conservation measures can consistently and predictably achieve overall energy savings and reduce daily and seasonal peak demand. The best renewable energy resource potential exists with solar and geothermal for heating applications and wave, offshore and inshore wind and tidal currents for electricity generation. There is very limited potential for hydro and bioenergy systems beyond what already exists. PV solar and land based wind power generation are currently only feasible for limited off-grid applications. This scoping study confirms the achievability of the vision expressed in Waitakere City Council's "Long Term Council Community Plan" (LTCCP) that by 2020 " Waitakere City will be an energy cell, not an energy sink. Air quality supports good health". A range of flagship projects have been identified to progress the achievement of this vision. Waitakere City Council can use this report as part of the development of a comprehensive energy management plan

The Role of Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria in Colorectal Cancer Related Cachexia: Friends or Foes?

Up to 60% of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients develop cachexia. The presence of CRC related cachexia is associated with more adverse events during systemic therapy, leading to a high mortality rate. The main manifestation in CRC related cachexia is the loss of skeletal muscle mass, resulting from an imbalance between skeletal muscle protein synthesis and protein degradation. In CRC related cachexia, systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and proteolytic systems lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in an imbalanced skeletal muscle metabolism. Mitochondria fulfill an important function in muscle maintenance. Thus, preservation of the skeletal muscle mitochondrial homeostasis may contribute to prevent the loss of muscle mass. However, it remains elusive whether mitochondria play a benign or malignant role in the development of cancer cachexia. This review summarizes current (mostly preclinical) evidence about the role of skeletal muscle mitochondria in the development of CRC related cachexia. Future human research is necessary to determine the physiological role of skeletal muscle mitochondria in the development of human CRC related cachexia

Prolyl Carboxypeptidase Activity Is Present in Human Adipose Tissue and Is Elevated in Serum of Obese Men with Type 2 Diabetes

Prolyl carboxypeptidase (PRCP) is involved in metabolic disorders by hydrolyzing anorexigenic peptides. A link between serum PRCP activity and obesity has been reported, but its origin/source is still unclear. Previously proven correlations between human serum PRCP activity and the amount of adipose tissue may suggest that adipose tissue is an important source of circulating PRCP. We investigated PRCP activity in visceral, subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT and SCAT), skeletal muscle tissue and serum of lean and obese men with or without type 2 diabetes (T2D). Correlations between PRCP activity, metabolic and biochemical parameters and immune cell populations were assessed. PRCP activity was the highest in VAT, compared to SCAT, and was very low in skeletal muscle tissue in the overall group. Serum PRCP activity was significantly higher in T2-diabetic obese men, compared to lean and obese non-diabetic men, and was positively correlated with glycemic control. A positive correlation was observed between serum PRCP activity and VAT immune cell populations, which might indicate that circulating PRCP activity is deriving rather from the immune fraction than from adipocytes. In conclusion, PRCP activity was observed in human adipose tissue for the first time and serum PRCP activity is correlated with T2D in obese men

Muscle wasting after coronary artery bypass graft surgery : impact on post-operative clinical status and effect of exercise-based rehabilitation

Background: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is known to induce significant muscle wasting. It remains to be investigated whether muscle wasting after CABG surgery relates to a worse clinical status at entry of rehabilitation and exercise-based rehabilitation remediates such muscle wasting. Design: Prospective observational study. Methods: In 21 males, changes in lean tissue mass (LTM) after CABG surgery were assessed and during a 12-week endurance exercise-based rehabilitation intervention. Changes in blood parameters and cardiopulmonary exercise capacity were assessed, and relations with changes in LTM were analysed. Results: LTM decreased by −1.9 ± 2.5 kg (p r = 0.58–0.61, p p  Conclusion: In males, CABG-induced LTM reduction was associated with a worse aerobic exercise tolerance at entry of rehabilitation, but this LTM reduction was fully remediated by endurance exercise-based rehabilitation.</p