The effects of Ashtanga yoga on circulating adipokines and inflammatory associated miRNAs
Authors: Abbott Marcia J , Killian Triana J , Walsh Catherine S , Yim Veronica T 
Published: June 2021

It is known that an obesogenic phenotype promotes disease progression as well as inflammatory processes. Yoga has come to light as a potential alternative to “traditional” endurance exercise to fight obesity and its associated disorders. It has been determined that yoga interventions have reduced attrition rates compared to other modalities of exercise. Importantly, research suggests that yoga has the ability to lower fat mass along‐side reductions in inflammatory markers. However, the molecular mechanism by which yoga acts to mediate adiposity is not clear and poorly described. A major limitation to the study of the effects that yoga plays in mediating molecular regulators is the conventional methodology used to obtain experimental samples, such as venipuncture. Saliva collection has become an alternative to blood sampling to assess the effects that a particular modality of exercise plays in modulating physiological processes. The purpose of the current study was to uncover the role of yoga in mediating the secretion of factors associated with obesity and inflammation using non‐invasive methodology. We hypothesized that yoga would induce secretion of anti‐adipogenic adipokines and miRNAs associated with inflammatory processes. Female participants, age 40±3.3, performed a single bout of Ashtanga mysore‐style yoga. Saliva samples were collected immediately before and after the yoga session. The samples were then analyzed for levels of adipokines and miRNAs. Samples were incubated with nitrocellulose membranes spotted with antibodies specific to 54 individual adipokines. Membranes were then incubated with horseradish peroxidase and visualized using chemiluminescence. Adipokines were quantified using densitometry analysis with Image J software. Additionally, small molecule RNAs were extracted from samples and subsequently reverse transcribed to cDNA. Real‐time qPCR procedures were carried out to amplify nucleotide sequences specific to 84 individual miRNAs associated with inflammatory processes. On average participants weighed 55.3 kg, were 1.58 m tall and had a BMI of 21.98. Sixteen adipokines were significantly increased (BMP4 233%, FGF19 333%, adiponectin 60%, chimerin 79%, AGP1 156%, HGF 62%, PCSK9 40%, angiopoietin 1 226%, RAGE 101%, angiopoietin 2 95%, RANTES 81%, angiopoietin‐like 2 62%, EN‐RAGE 80%, BAFF 95%, TIMP1 76% and IL‐8 92%) and 3 were significantly reduced (IL‐11 38%, IGFBP‐6 35% and Resistin 16%) (P<0.05). Of the 84 miRNAs quantified pre‐post yoga, 8 were significantly different (P<0.05). Specifically, miR‐208b, miR‐15b‐5p, miR‐622, miR‐185‐5p, miR‐184, miR‐346 and miR‐654‐5p were reduced while miR‐299‐5p was elevated after yoga (P<0.05). Taken together, our data indicate that a single session of Ashtanga yoga acts to alter the circulating levels of adipokines and miRNAs. Specifically, adipokines associated with increasing metabolic processes (BMP4, FGF19 and adiponectin) were elevated. Further, secretion of miRNAs associated with inflammatory processes were altered as a result of the yoga session. Altogether, a potential pathway by which yoga acts to reduce adiposity and its related disorders may be through mediating circulating adipokine levels and the transcription of miRNAs. Further research is essential to fully elucidate the molecular mechanism by which yoga acts to reduce disease processes.

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This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.