Physical exercise increases ROCK activity in the skeletal muscle of middle-aged rats

Author(s)

Munoz, Vitor Rosetto ^[1] ; Gaspar, Rafael Calais ^[1] ; Esteca, Marcos Vinicius ^[2] ; Baptista, Igor Luchini ^[2] ; Lins Vieira, Renan Fudoli ^[1] ; Ramos da Silva, Adelino Sanchez ^{[3, 4]} ; de Moura, Leandro Pereira ^{[1, 5]} ; Cintra, Dennys Esper ^{[3, 6]} ; Ropelle, Eduardo Rochete ^{[1, 5]} ; Pauli, Jose Rodrigo ^{[1, 5]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, Lab Mol Biol Exercise, Limeira, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, Lab Cellular & Tissue Biol, Fac Appl Sci, Limeira - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Phys Educ & Sport Ribeirao Preto, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto Med Sch, Postgrad Program Rehabil & Funct Performance, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[5] Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, OCRC, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[6] Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, Lab Nutr Genom, Limeira, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: MECHANISMS OF AGEING AND DEVELOPMENT; v. 186, MAR 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

The physical exercise is a potential strategy to control age-related metabolic disorders, such as insulin resistance, impaired glucose homeostasis, and type 2 diabetes. Rho-kinase (ROCK) increases skeletal muscle glucose uptake through Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 (IRS1) phosphorylation. Here, we investigated the role of physical exercise in ROCK pathway in the skeletal muscle of Fischer middle-aged rats. Firstly, we observed the ROCK distribution in different skeletal muscle fiber types. ROCK signaling pathway (ROCK1 and ROCK2) and activity (pMYPT1) were higher in the soleus, which was associated with increased insulin signaling pathway (pIR, pIRS1, pPDK, pGSK3 beta). Middle-aged rats submitted to physical exercise, showed the upregulation of ROCK2 content and normalized RhoA (ROCK activator enzyme) levels in soleus muscle compared with middle-aged sedentary rats. These molecular changes in middle-aged exercised rats were accompanied by higher insulin signaling (pIRS1, pGSK3 beta, pAS160, GLUT4) in the soleus muscle. Reinforcing these findings, when pharmacological inhibition of ROCK activity was performed (using Y-27632), the insulin signaling pathway and glucose metabolism-related genes (Tpi, Pgk1, Pgam2, Eno3) were decreased in the soleus muscle of exercised rats. In summary, ROCK signaling seems to contribute with whole-body glucose homeostasis (similar to 50 %) through its higher upregulation in the soleus muscle in middle-aged exercised rats. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/18488-8 - The role of physical exercise on molecular pathways of glucose uptake in GLUT-4 knockout mice
• Grantee: José Rodrigo Pauli
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 15/26000-2 - The role of Rock protein on glucose uptake in the skeletal muscle of exercised rodents during the aging process
• Grantee: Vitor Rosetto Muñoz
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• FAPESP's process: 18/20872-6 - Effects of physical exercise on Rock protein signaling pathway, and lipogenic regulation and gluconeogenesis in the liver of aged rats
• Grantee: José Rodrigo Pauli
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants