Abstract
The physiological and molecular mechanisms linking prenatal physical activity and improvements in maternal–fetal health are unknown. It is hypothesized that small extracellular vesicles (EVs, ~ 10–120 nm) are involved in tissue cross-talk during exercise. We aimed to characterize the circulating small EV profile of pregnant versus non-pregnant women after an acute bout of moderate-intensity exercise. Pregnant (N = 10) and non-pregnant control (N = 9) women performed a single session of moderate-intensity treadmill walking for 30 min. Plasma was collected immediately pre- and post-exercise, and small EVs were isolated by differential ultracentrifugation. EV presence was confirmed by western blotting for the small EV proteins TSG-101 and flottilin-1. Small EVs were quantified by size and concentration using nanoparticle tracking analysis and transmission electron microscopy. All EV fractions were positive for TSG-101 and flotillin-1, and negative for calnexin. Mean vesicle size at baseline and percent change in size post-exercise were not different between groups. At baseline, pregnant women had higher levels of small EVs compared to controls (1.83E+10 ± 1.25E+10 particles/mL vs. 8.11E+09 ± 4.04E+09 particles/mL, respectively; p = 0.032). Post-exercise, small EVs increased significantly in the circulation of pregnant compared to non-pregnant women after correcting for baseline values (64.7 ± 24.6% vs. − 23.3 ± 26.1%, respectively; F = 5.305, p = 0.035). Further research is needed to assess the functional roles of exercise-induced small EVs in pregnancy.
Highlights
The physiological and molecular mechanisms linking prenatal physical activity and improvements in maternal–fetal health are unknown
Several molecules are released into circulation, including c atecholamines9,10, myokines[11,12], and small extracellular vesicles (EVs)[7,13], which seem to mediate the adaptations caused by the cumulative effect of daily bouts of ‘acute’ physical activity[14]
We performed a novel examination of the exercise-induced small EV profile in pregnant women in comparison to non-pregnant controls
Summary
The physiological and molecular mechanisms linking prenatal physical activity and improvements in maternal–fetal health are unknown. Work from our lab has shown that the acute physiological response to exercise, relating to the release of soluble factors like cytokines into circulation, is different in pregnant compared to non-pregnant women[21] It remains unknown whether acute prenatal exercise results in a change in the levels of circulating small EVs, and whether the response differs depending on pregnancy status. We aimed to characterize the plasma small EV profile and concentration after a single bout guidelines-based of moderate-intensity exercise in pregnant women, compared to their non-pregnant counterparts. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine small EVs in response to acute exercise in pregnant and non-pregnant women
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