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Physiology and Biochemistry

Effects of an acute bout of exercise on circulating extracellular vesicles: tissue-, sex-, and BMI-related differences

International Journal of Obesity volume 44, pages 1108–1118 (2020)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background

Exercise is recognized to evoke multisystemic adaptations that, particularly in obese subjects, reduce body weight, improve glucometabolic control, counteract sarcopenia, and lower the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of exercise-induced benefits is of great interest due to the therapeutic implications against obesity.

Objectives and methods

The aim of the present study was to evaluate time-related changes in size distribution and cell origin of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in obese and normal-weight subjects who underwent a moderate-intensity exercise on a treadmill (at 60% of their VO2max). Blood samples were drawn before, immediately at the end of the exercise and during the postexercise recovery period (3 and 24 h). Circulating EVs were analyzed by a nanoparticle tracking analysis and flow cytometry after labeling with the following cell-specific markers: CD14 (monocyte/macrophage), CD61 (platelet), CD62E (activated endothelium), CD105 (total endothelium), SCGA (skeletal muscle), and FABP (adipose tissue).

Results

In all subjects, acute exercise reduced the release of total (i.e., 30–700 nm) EVs in circulation, predominantly EVs in the microvesicle size range (i.e., 130–700 nm EVs). The postexercise release of microvesicles was higher in normal-weight than obese subjects; after exercise, circulating levels of exosomes (i.e., 30–130 nm EVs) and microvesicles were, respectively, lower and higher in females than males. In all experimental subgroups (males vs. females and obese vs. normal-weight subjects), acute exercise reduced and increased, respectively, CD61 + and SCGA + EVs, being the effect on CD61 + EVs prolonged up to 24 h after the end of the test with subjects in resting conditions. Total EVs, exosomes, and CD61 + EVs were associated with HOMA-IR.

Conclusions

Though preliminary, the results of the present study show that a single bout of acute exercise modulates the release of EVs in circulation, which are tissue-, sex-, and BMI specific, suggesting that the exercise-related benefits might depend upon a complex interaction of tissue, endocrine, and metabolic factors.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed in the present study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the head-nurse Angela Seddone and the nursing staff at the Division of Auxology, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piancavallo, VB, Italy. Our special thanks go to the subjects and their families for their willingness to participate in this research. The authors thank Dr S. Zajac for the careful English revision.

Funding

The study was supported by Progetti di Ricerca Corrente, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Antonello E. Rigamonti & Silvano G. Cella

  2. Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, EPIGET Lab, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Valentina Bollati, Laura Pergoli & Simona Iodice

  3. Experimental Laboratory for Auxo-endocrinological Research, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Piancavallo (VB), Italy

    Alessandra De Col, Sofia Tamini, Sabrina Cicolini, Gabriella Tringali, Roberta De Micheli & Alessandro Sartorio

  4. Division of Metabolic Disease and Auxology, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Piancavallo (VB), Italy

    Alessandro Sartorio

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Contributions

AER, together with VB and AS, designed the study. ADC, ST, and SC enrolled the subjects and performed the tests. RDM and GT performed the evaluation of body composition of all patients. ADC performed the biochemical determinations, while LP isolated and characterized plasma EVs. ST, ADC, and SC elaborated the database. SI and AER analyzed the data. AER, together with AS, wrote the manuscript. VB and SGC contributed to data interpretation and discussion writing. All authors contributed to the manuscript revision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonello E. Rigamonti.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

The patients and their parents (for the subjects younger than 18 years) and the healthy controls were fully informed of the procedures and possible risks associated with the experiments before giving their written consent to participate to the study. The protocol was approved by the local ethics committee (reference code: 01C825-2018; acronym: VESCIOBES). All procedures were in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (2000) of the World Medical Association.

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Rigamonti, A.E., Bollati, V., Pergoli, L. et al. Effects of an acute bout of exercise on circulating extracellular vesicles: tissue-, sex-, and BMI-related differences. Int J Obes 44, 1108–1118 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-019-0460-7

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