Irisin: An anti-inflammatory exerkine in aging and redox-mediated comorbidities

Caio Dos Santos Trettel; Bruno Rocha de Avila Pelozin; Marcelo Paes Barros; André Luis Lacerda Bachi; Pedro Gabriel Senger Braga; César Miguel Momesso; Guilherme Eustáquio Furtado; Pedro Afonso Valente; Edilamar Menezes Oliveira; Eef Hogervorst; Tiago Fernandes

doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1106529

Irisin: An anti-inflammatory exerkine in aging and redox-mediated comorbidities

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Feb 10:14:1106529. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1106529. eCollection 2023.

Affiliations

¹ Interdisciplinary Program in Health Sciences, Institute of Physical Activity Sciences and Sports, Cruzeiro do Sul University, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
² Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Exercise, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
³ Post-Graduation Program in Health Sciences, Santo Amaro University, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
⁴ Laboratory of Metabolism and Lipids, Heart Institute, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
⁵ ENAU College, Innovation and Research Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
⁶ Applied Research Institute, Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
⁷ Research Unit for Sport and Physical Activity (CIDAF, UID/PTD/04213/2020), Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education (FCDEF-UC), Coimbra, Portugal.
⁸ Research Centre for Sport and Physical Activity, Faculty of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
⁹ Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
¹⁰ National Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom.

Abstract

Human beings lead largely sedentary lives. From an evolutionary perspective, such lifestyle is not beneficial to health. Exercise can promote many enabling pathways, particularly through circulating exerkines, to optimize individual health and quality of life. Such benefits might explain the protective effects of exercise against aging and noncommunicable diseases. Nevertheless, the miRNA-mediated molecular mechanisms and exerkine interorgan crosstalk that underlie the beneficial effects of exercise remain poorly understood. In this mini review, we focused on the exerkine, irisin, mainly produced by muscle contraction during adaptation to exercise and its beneficial effects on body homeostasis. Herein, the complex role of irisin in metabolism and inflammation is described, including its subsequent effects on thermogenesis through browning to control obesity and improve glycemic regulation for diabetes mellitus control, its potential to improve cognitive function (via brain derived neurotrophic factor), and its pathways of action and role in aging.

Keywords: exercise; exerkines; inflammaging; myokines; oxidative stress; skeletal muscle.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aging
Anti-Inflammatory Agents / metabolism
Fibronectins* / metabolism
Humans
Muscle, Skeletal* / metabolism
Oxidation-Reduction
Quality of Life

Substances

Fibronectins
Anti-Inflammatory Agents

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) through the “Programa de Suporte a Pós-Graduação de Instituições de Ensino Particulares (PROSUP) and CAPES-PROEX” (grant number: 0001 and #88887.484856/2020-00), Brazil; the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP: #2015/17275-8, #2017/06032-2, and #2022/03138-2); and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq: #409629/2021-9, #311839/2021-5, and #313376/2021-2). The authors would also like to thank the National funding by FCT- Foundation for Science and Technology, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract (CEECINST/00077/2021).