Effect of Acute Aerobic Exercise on the Thioredoxin System in Lean, Healthy Subjects

Acute aerobic exercise was able to significantly reduce TXNIP and REDD1 protein expression. However, the change in TXNIP protein expression could not be explained by changes in posttranslational modifications as there was no significant change in ubiquitination or serine phosphorylation status following the exercise bout. It is worth noting that although they were independently insignificant, the change in these two posttranslational modifications significantly correlated with one another, indicating that they may be regulated through a convergent mechanism. Additionally, we observed a significant correlation between REDD1 and TXNIP in the pre-exercise state, but due to limitations in our methodology, were unable to determine whether the interaction between REDD1 and TXNIP is altered as a result of exercise. Lastly, we did not observe changes in TRX expression following acute aerobic exercise and likewise we did not observe changes in its interaction with TXNIP. Futures studies should be conducted in a diseased population in order to determine if acute exercise can elicit more robust changes in TXNIP expression and its interactions with REDD1 and TRX. Further, future analysis should incorporate other outcome measures in order to understand if changes in TXNIP, REDD1, and TRX biology has any implications for oxidative stress and insulin sensitivity following acute aerobic exercise in order to expand on its efficacy in the prevention and treatment of skeletal muscle insulin resistance that is associated with T2DM.