title: Acute physical exercise and long-term individual shear rate therapy increase telomerase activity in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
abstract: Physical activity is a potent way to impede vascular ageing. However, patients who suffer from peripheral artery disease (PAD) are often unable to exercise adequately. For those patients, we have developed individual shear rate therapy (ISRT), which is an adaptation of external counterpulsation and enhances endovascular fluid shear stress to increase collateral growth (arteriogenesis). To evaluate the effects of physical exercise and ISRT on the telomere biology of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), we conducted two clinical trials.
  
  
  
  In the ISRT-1 study, we assessed PBMC telomerase activity in 26 young healthy volunteers upon a single (short-term) ISRT session and a single treadmill running session. In the ISRT-2 study, we investigated PBMC telomere biology of 14 elderly patients with PAD, who underwent 30 h of (long-term) ISRT within a 5-week period.
  
  
  
  We demonstrate that telomerase activity significantly increased from 39.84 Total Product Generated (TPG) Units ± 6.15 to 58.10 TPG ± 10.46 upon a single treadmill running session in healthy volunteers. In the ISRT-2 trial, PBMC telomerase activity and the mRNA expression of the telomere-protective factor TRF2 increased from 40.87 TPG ± 4.45 to 60.98 TPG ± 6.83 and 2.10-fold ± 0.40, respectively, upon long-term ISRT in elderly patients with PAD.
  
  
  
  In summary, we show that acute exercise and long-term ISRT positively affect PBMC telomerase activity, which is indicative for an improved regenerative potential of immune cells and vascular tissues. Long-term ISRT also enhances the gene expression of the telomere-protective factor TRF2.
authors: Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Richard-Thoma-Laboratories for Arteriogenesis, Center for Cardiovascular Research, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte (CCM), Berlin, Germany.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Zietzer
authors: Department for Angiology, Center for Internal Medicine I, Medical University of Brandenburg (MHB), Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg, Germany.|Institute of Physiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte (CCM), Berlin, Germany.
authors: E E
authors: EE
authors: Buschmann
authors: Berlin-Brandenburg School for Regenerative Therapies (BSRT), Charité - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum (CVK) and Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Janke
authors: Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Richard-Thoma-Laboratories for Arteriogenesis, Center for Cardiovascular Research, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte (CCM), Berlin, Germany.|Department for Angiology, Center for Internal Medicine I, Medical University of Brandenburg (MHB), Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg, Germany.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Li
authors: Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Richard-Thoma-Laboratories for Arteriogenesis, Center for Cardiovascular Research, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte (CCM), Berlin, Germany.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Brix
authors: Department of Medicine/Cardiology, Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Meyborg
authors: Department of Medicine/Cardiology, Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Stawowy
authors: Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Richard-Thoma-Laboratories for Arteriogenesis, Center for Cardiovascular Research, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte (CCM), Berlin, Germany.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Jungk
authors: Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Richard-Thoma-Laboratories for Arteriogenesis, Center for Cardiovascular Research, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte (CCM), Berlin, Germany.|Department for Angiology, Center for Internal Medicine I, Medical University of Brandenburg (MHB), Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg, Germany.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Buschmann
authors: Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Richard-Thoma-Laboratories for Arteriogenesis, Center for Cardiovascular Research, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte (CCM), Berlin, Germany.|Department for Angiology, Center for Internal Medicine I, Medical University of Brandenburg (MHB), Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg, Germany.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Hillmeister
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015908:Counterpulsation / Q000379:methods*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019098:Telomerase
keywords: counterpulsation; exercise; individual shear rate therapy; leucocyte; peripheral artery disease; telomerase