Inactivity, excess body weight, and the muscle secretome (v3)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Do physical inactivity and excess body weight change the skeletal muscle secretome?
IRAS ID
205598
Contact name
Thomas Solomon
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 31 days
Research summary
Exercise affects several tissues causing changes in the circulating levels of several factors including metabolites, hormones, and microRNAs (Pedersen et al 2008 Physiol Rev). Changes in these factors are detectable in blood and by collecting blood samples prior to, during, and at regular intervals following exercise, detailed information concerning which metabolic/hormonal pathways are affected can be obtained. Interestingly, many of these factors are known to be produced in muscle but less is known about whether these factors are specifically released from muscle into blood.
Prior data emerges from investigations of healthy individuals who are accustomed to high levels of physical activity/exercise and who, therefore, have optimal metabolic function in their skeletal muscles (Helge et al 2002 J Physiol; Steensberg et al 2002 Am J Physiol). Consequently, it is not currently known whether release of factors from contracting muscle is influenced by the metabolic health of the muscle. Since skeletal muscle metabolism is influenced by the metabolic health of muscle (Richter et al 2014 Exp Physiol), we hypothesise that release of factors from muscle will be different between muscle with good vs. poor metabolic health. Therefore, we will determine the release of several circulating metabolites, proteins, hormones, and micro RNAs from quadriceps muscles in the leg in response to a 30-minute leg-kicking exercise bout. We will compare the release of measured factors between healthy weight (good muscle metabolic health) and overweight individuals (poor muscle metabolic health). We will also compare the release of factors from muscle before&after a 1-week period of leg immobilisation to reduce the metabolic health of the quadriceps muscles. Muscle release of factors will be measured using a sophisticated technique called A-V balance whereby the difference between arterial (supplying tissue) and venous (leaving tissue) levels of such factors is calculated (as we have previously used Christensen et al 2015 J Clin Endocrinol Metab).
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/WM/0232
Date of REC Opinion
23 Jun 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion