Aerobic exercise improves endothelial function and serum adropin levels in obese adolescents independent of body weight loss

Hao Zhang,Long Jiang,Ming Zhou,Ren-Kai Ge,Le-Liang Li,Hui Liu,Huan Hu,Yi-Fei Dong,Ping Li,Xiao-Shu Cheng,Rong Chen,Yu-Jing Yang,Jie Cui

doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18086-3

Abstract

Adropin is a secreted protein that regulates endothelial function. However, adropin levels in obese adolescent patients are currently uncertain. Therefore, we evaluated the association between plasma adropin levels and vascular endothelial function and investigated the effect of aerobic exercise in obese adolescents. A total of 45 obese adolescents and 20 controls (age 16–19 years) were included in our study. The obese adolescents received 12 weeks of aerobic exercise training. Serum adropin was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Vascular reactive hyperemia indexes (RHIs) were obtained using Endo-PAT2000. Adropin levels and RHI were significantly lower in obese adolescents than in normal-weight adolescents. Adropin levels and RHI increased significantly independently of changes in body weight after an exercise intervention (P < 0.01). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that adropin levels positively correlated with HDL-C levels (r = 0.389, P < 0.01) and RHI (r = 0.32, P < 0.01). Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis showed that the insulin resistance index (t = −3.301, P < 0.01) and HDL-C level (t = 2.620, P = 0.011) were independent risk factors of adropin levels. In addition, Δadropin (t = 3.261, P < 0.01) was an independent influencing factor of ΔRHI. Our findings suggest that adropin plays an important role in vascular endothelial function in obese adolescents.

Highlights

Obesity is a mild systemic inflammatory disease that is a major risk factor for hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease and other chronic diseases[1]
The present study investigated the effect of an exercise intervention on lipid metabolism, vascular endothelial function and serum adropin levels in obese adolescents to provide a novel way of thinking in the prevention of long-term risk for cardiovascular disease in obese adolescents
Our study found that serum adropin levels were significantly lower in obese adolescents than in normal-weight adolescents, and Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the serum level of adropin negatively correlated with body mass index (BMI) (r = −0.248, P < 0.05)

Summary

Introduction

Obesity is a mild systemic inflammatory disease that is a major risk factor for hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease and other chronic diseases[1]. There are significant differences in blood lipids, insulin resistance and inflammatory factors between obese adolescents and normal-weight adolescents[4]. Aerobic exercise intervention significantly reduces blood lipids, insulin resistance and inflammatory factors in obese adolescents[5]. The obese adolescent group performed 12 weeks of aerobic exercise, and changes in body composition, lipid metabolism, vascular endothelial function and the serum adropin concentration from before to after the exercise intervention were examined. The present study investigated the effect of an exercise intervention on lipid metabolism, vascular endothelial function and serum adropin levels in obese adolescents to provide a novel way of thinking in the prevention of long-term risk for cardiovascular disease in obese adolescents

Methods

Results

Conclusion