MicroRNAs in Extracellular Vesicles in Sweat Change in Response to Endurance Exercise

Area of Science:

• Exercise physiology
• Molecular biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• MicroRNAs (miRs) in extracellular vesicles (EVs) are studied in blood for exercise responses.
• Non-invasive body fluids like sweat have not been explored for exercise-responsive miRs in EVs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if exercise-responsive miRs in sweat EVs change with different endurance exercise intensities.
• To compare miR content in sweat EVs with serum EVs.

Main Methods:

• Collected sweat and serum EVs from 8 subjects during maximal aerobic capacity, anaerobic threshold, and aerobic threshold tests.
• Used sauna bathing as a control for non-exercise sweating.
• Analyzed miR expression and EV markers (CD63, APOA1) using Western blot.

Main Results:

• Sweat EVs expressed CD63 and APOA1 markers.
• miR-21 levels increased in sweat EVs after aerobic threshold exercise.
• miR-26 levels increased in sweat EVs after all exercise protocols compared to sauna.
• miR-146 showed correlation between sweat and serum EVs post-exercise.

Conclusions:

• This is the first study demonstrating miRs within sweat EVs, responding to endurance exercise.
• Exercise intensity influences miR levels (miR-21, miR-26) in sweat EVs.
• Sweat EVs provide a unique, non-invasive source for monitoring exercise-induced miR changes, distinct from serum.