GSE184493
The effect of moderate-intensity treadmill exercise on the transcription of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in ovariectomized rats
Purpose: Using RNA-sequencing technology to screen the effect of moderate-intensity treadmill exercise on the key genes that affect bone mass in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Methods: Three-month-old female Sprague–Dawley rats of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) grade were randomly divided into the sham operation (SHAM) group, OVX group, and OVX combined exercise (OVX+EX) group. The OVX+EX group performed moderate-intensity treadmill exercise for 17 weeks. Upon completion of these exercises, the body composition and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and the bone microstructure of the femur was observed using micro-computed tomography scanning. PBMCs were collected from the abdominal aorta, and the differential genes were analyzed by transcriptome sequencing. The Metascape software was used for gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis to further screen key genes. Results: 1. In the OVX group, the body weight and body fat content were significantly higher than in the SHAM group and the body muscle content and BMD were significantly lower. 2. The trabecular bone parameters in the OVX group were significantly lower than in the SHAM group, and they were significantly higher in the OVX+EX group than in the OVX group. When compared with the SHAM group, the microstructure of the distal femur trabecular in the OVX group was severely damaged, the trabecular bones were sparse, and there was a large gap between the trabecular bones. The number and continuity of the trabecular bones were higher in OVX+EX group than in the OVX group. 3. A Venn diagram showed that there were 58 common differential genes, with a fold change =2 and p value <0.05. and the differential genes were mainly enriched in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Five key genes were screened including CCL2, Nos3, Tgfb3, ITGb4, and LpL. Conclusion: Moderate-intensity treadmill exercise may improve the body composition and bone mass of the OVX group by upregulating CCL2 and other genes of the PBMC. The results also showed that the PBMCs in the peripheral blood can be a useful tool for monitoring the effect of exercise on bone health in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Overall design: the effect of moderate-intensity treadmill exercise on the mRNA profiles  in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of ovariectomized (OVX) rats.