title: Endurance exercise increases skeletal muscle kynurenine aminotransferases and plasma kynurenic acid in humans.
abstract: Physical exercise has emerged as an alternative treatment for patients with depressive disorder. Recent animal studies show that exercise protects from depression by increased skeletal muscle kynurenine aminotransferase (KAT) expression which shifts the kynurenine metabolism away from the neurotoxic kynurenine (KYN) to the production of kynurenic acid (KYNA). In the present study, we investigated the effect of exercise on kynurenine metabolism in humans. KAT gene and protein expression was increased in the muscles of endurance-trained subjects compared with untrained subjects. Endurance exercise caused an increase in plasma KYNA within the first hour after exercise. In contrast, a bout of high-intensity eccentric exercise did not lead to increased plasma KYNA concentration. Our results show that regular endurance exercise causes adaptations in kynurenine metabolism which can have implications for exercise recommendations for patients with depressive disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Sports Science and Innovation Institute, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania;
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlittler
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden;
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goiny
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden;
authors.forename: Leandro Z
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Agudelo
authors.affiliation: Sports Science and Innovation Institute, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania;
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Venckunas
authors.affiliation: Sports Science and Innovation Institute, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania;
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brazaitis
authors.affiliation: Sports Science and Innovation Institute, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania;
authors.forename: Albertas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skurvydas
authors.affiliation: Sports Science and Innovation Institute, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania;
authors.forename: Sigitas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamandulis
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden;
authors.forename: Jorge L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ruas
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden;
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erhardt
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Sports Science and Innovation Institute, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania;
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Westerblad
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Medicine, Unit of Cardiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; and Department of Cardiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden Daniel.C.Andersson@ki.se.
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Andersson
mesh_terms: D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007736:Kynurenic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D064797:Physical Conditioning, Human / Q000379:methods / Q000502:physiology*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D000637:Transaminases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000637:Transaminases; C021481:kynurenine-oxoglutarate transaminase; D007736:Kynurenic Acid
keywords: endurance exercise; kynurenic acid; kynurenine aminotransferases; skeletal muscle