Abstract
Physical training can improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the underlying mechanisms are not entirely clear. An interesting piece of the puzzle could be the regulation of micro-RNAs (miRNAs). They are important modulators of protein expression. Some miRNAs were found to be both linked to poor glycemic control/insulin resistance (with evidence from in vivo and/or in vitro studies) and dysregulated in the skeletal muscle of T2DM patients. This pilot study examines whether a 3-month endurance training program [three times a week, 70–80% peak heart rate (HRpeak)] can down-regulate their levels in T2DM men (n = 7). One skeletal muscle biopsy sample was obtained from each patient at T1 (6 weeks pre-intervention), one at T2 (1 week pre-intervention) and one at T3 (3–4 days post-intervention). miRNA-27a-3p, −29a-3p, −29b-3p, −29c-3p, −106b-5p, −135a-5p, −143-3p, −144-3p, −194-5p, and − 206 levels were determined by RT-qPCR. Friedman ANOVA and post-hoc tests showed that miRNA-29b-3p, −29c-3p and -135a-5p levels were significantly reduced post-training (T3 vs. T2 and/or T1). Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and HOMA insulin resistance index did not change significantly. However, HbA1c was reduced in 6 of 7 patients post-training. Furthermore, Spearman’s rank correlation analyses with all values from all time points showed significant negative associations between miRNA-29c-3p, −106b-5p, −144-3p and −194-5p levels and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak). The study results imply that regular exercise and improving one’s physical fitness is helpful for the regulation of skeletal muscle miRNAs in T2DM patients. Whether or not changes in the miRNA profile can affect the clinical situation of T2DM patients warrants further research.
Highlights
Regular physical activity is a crucial element in the therapy of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and it has been demonstrated that physical training can improve glycemic control in most of the patients (Chudyk and Petrella, 2011)
The present study aims to determine whether physical training can change levels of miRNAs -27a-3p, −29a-3p, −29b-3p, −29c-3p, −106b-5p, −135a-5p, −143-3p, −144-3p, −194-5p, and −206, which were all found to be negatively linked to variables of glycemic control and which can be dysregulated in the skeletal muscle of patients with T2DM (Gallagher et al, 2010; Jordan et al, 2011; Karolina et al, 2011; Zhang et al, 2013, 2017; Latouche et al, 2016; Zhou et al, 2016; Dahlmans et al, 2017)
This study analyzed the influence of a physical training intervention on the levels of some skeletal muscle miRNAs in T2DM patients, as miRNAs have been discussed as new important regulators of glycemic control (Jones et al, 2017; Zhang et al, 2019)
Summary
Regular physical activity is a crucial element in the therapy of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and it has been demonstrated that physical training can improve glycemic control in most of the patients (Chudyk and Petrella, 2011). The influence of regular physical training on these miRNAs in the skeletal muscle of T2DM patients has not been examined. The present study aims to determine whether physical training (endurance type) can change levels of miRNAs -27a-3p, −29a-3p, −29b-3p, −29c-3p, −106b-5p, −135a-5p, −143-3p, −144-3p, −194-5p, and −206, which were all found to be negatively linked to variables of glycemic control and which can be dysregulated in the skeletal muscle of patients with T2DM (Gallagher et al, 2010; Jordan et al, 2011; Karolina et al, 2011; Zhang et al, 2013, 2017; Latouche et al, 2016; Zhou et al, 2016; Dahlmans et al, 2017). The hypothesis that regular physical endurance exercise downregulates the afore-mentioned miRNAs in the skeletal muscle of T2DM patients was tested
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