title: A novel role for subcutaneous adipose tissue in exercise-induced improvements in glucose homeostasis.
abstract: Exercise training improves whole-body glucose homeostasis through effects largely attributed to adaptations in skeletal muscle; however, training also affects other tissues, including adipose tissue. To determine whether exercise-induced adaptations to adipose tissue contribute to training-induced improvements in glucose homeostasis, subcutaneous white adipose tissue (scWAT) from exercise-trained or sedentary donor mice was transplanted into the visceral cavity of sedentary recipients. Remarkably, 9 days post-transplantation, mice receiving scWAT from exercise-trained mice had improved glucose tolerance and enhanced insulin sensitivity compared with mice transplanted with scWAT from sedentary or sham-treated mice. Mice transplanted with scWAT from exercise-trained mice had increased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in tibialis anterior and soleus muscles and brown adipose tissue, suggesting that the transplanted scWAT exerted endocrine effects. Furthermore, the deleterious effects of high-fat feeding on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were completely reversed if high-fat-fed recipient mice were transplanted with scWAT from exercise-trained mice. In additional experiments, voluntary exercise training by wheel running for only 11 days resulted in profound changes in scWAT, including the increased expression of ∼1,550 genes involved in numerous cellular functions including metabolism. Exercise training causes adaptations to scWAT that elicit metabolic improvements in other tissues, demonstrating a previously unrecognized role for adipose tissue in the beneficial effects of exercise on systemic glucose homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Kristin I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Stanford
authors.affiliation: Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Roeland J W
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Middelbeek
authors.affiliation: Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Kristy L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.affiliation: Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Min-Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Kawai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: So
authors.affiliation: Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Kristen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Hitchcox
authors.affiliation: Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Kathleen R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Markan
authors.affiliation: Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hellbach
authors.affiliation: Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Hirshman
authors.affiliation: Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Yu-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA laurie.goodyear@joslin.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Laurie J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Goodyear
mesh_terms: D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose