Cited by 204Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic DiseasesAdipose Tissue and MetabolismExercise and Physiological Responses

TGF-β2 is an exercise-induced adipokine that regulates glucose and fatty acid metabolism

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Takahashi, Hirokazu, Alves, Christiano R. R., Stanford, Kristin I., Middelbeek, Roeland J. W., Nigro, Pasquale, Ryan, Rebecca E., Xue, Ruidan, Sakaguchi, Masaji +17 more·2019·Nature Metabolism

Abstract

Exercise improves health and well-being across diverse organ systems, and elucidating mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of exercise can lead to new therapies. Here, we show that transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) is secreted from adipose tissue in response to exercise and improves glucose tolerance in mice. We identify TGF-β2 as an exercise-induced adipokine in a gene expression analysis of human subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies after exercise training. In mice, exercise training increases TGF-β2 in scWAT, serum, and its secretion from fat explants. Transplanting scWAT from exercise-trained wild type mice, but not from adipose tissue-specific Tgfb2-/- mice, into sedentary mice improves glucose tolerance. TGF-β2 treatment reverses the detrimental metabolic effects of high fat feeding in mice. Lactate, a metabolite released from muscle during exercise, stimulates TGF-β2 expression in human adipocytes. Administration of the lactate-lowering agent dichloroacetate during exercise training in mice decreases circulating TGF-β2 levels and reduces exercise-stimulated improvements in glucose tolerance. Thus, exercise training improves systemic metabolism through inter-organ communication with fat via a lactate-TGF-β2-signaling cycle.

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  • TGF-β2, an exercise-induced adipokine, is stimulated by exercise-induced lactate, enhancing glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and boosting mitochondrial function.

    “Transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-β2), an exercise-induced adipokine, is stimulated by exercise-induced lactate, enhancing glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and boosting mitochondrial function, shedding light on adipose–muscle tissue crosstalk [79] (Table 1).”
  • Exercise-trained white adipose tissue fosters the generation of thermogenic brown-like adipocytes with specific adipokines including TGF-β, apelin, follistatin, and myostatin.

    “Moreover, exercise-trained WAT fosters the generation of thermogenic brown-like adipocytes with specific adipokines, including TGF-β [79], apelin, follistatin, and myostatin (Figure 3) [80,81].”
  • Exercise-related paracrine effects occur in the nervous system, adipose tissue, bone, cartilage, extracellular matrix and immune system.

    “Exercise-related paracrine effects are also observed in the nervous system53, adipose tissue42,54–58, bone59–61, cartilage62, extracellular matrix63,64 and the immune system65,66.”

    From Exerkines in health, resilience and disease (2022) · cites this paper as [42]

  • In a mouse model, lactate exposure in vitro and in vivo increased adipocyte TGFβ2 expression.

    “In a mouse model, specific lactate exposure in vitro and in vivo increased adipocyte expression of TGFβ2 (REF.42).”

    From Exerkines in health, resilience and disease (2022) · cites this paper as [42]

  • In a mouse model of chronic exercise, increased adipocyte TGFβ2 expression and secretion were associated with improved glucose metabolism, lipid oxidation and possible reduction of adipose inflammation.

    “in a mouse model of chronic exercise, increased adipocyte levels of TGFβ2 expression and secretion were associated with improvements in glucose metabolism, lipid oxidation and a possible reduction of adipose tissue inflammation.”

    From Exerkines in health, resilience and disease (2022) · cites this paper as [42]

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  1. [37]Stanford KI & Goodyear LJ Muscle-Adipose Tissue Cross Talk. Cold Spring Harb. Perspect. Med 4, a029801 (2017). PMC5685935 28507197
  2. [51]de Martin R Complementary DNA for human glioblastoma-derived T cell suppressor factor, a novel member of the transforming growth factor-beta gene family. EMBO J. 6, 3673– 7 (1987). 3322813 PMC553836
  3. [52]Zhang H, Yang P, Zhou H, Meng Q & Huang X Involvement of Foxp3-expressing CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in the development of tolerance induced by transforming growth factor-beta2-treated antigen-presenting cells. Immunology 124, 304– 14 (2008). 18266851 PMC2440824

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Authors
Takahashi, H., Alves, C. R. R., Stanford, K. I., Middelbeek, R. J. W., Nigro, P., Ryan, R. E., Xue, R., Sakaguchi, M., Lynes, M. D., So, K., Mul, J. D., Lee, M.-Y., Balan, E., Pan, H., Dreyfuss, J. M., Hirshman, M. F., Azhar, M., Hannukainen, J. C., Nuutila, P., Kalliokoski, K. K., Nielsen, S., Pedersen, B. K., Kahn, C. R., Tseng, Y.-H., & Goodyear, L. J.
Affiliations
  • Joslin Diabetes Center (US)
  • University of South Carolina (US)
  • University of Turku (FI)
  • University of Copenhagen (DK)
Corresponding author
Goodyear, Laurie J.
Venue
Nature Metabolism
Published
2019-02-11
Volume
1
Issue
2
Pages
291-303
ISSN
2522-5812 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2912468419
Cited by
204
References
66
Citations by year
2026: 16 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 10
FWCI
18.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Metabolism (publishedVersion)
  • Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • American Heart Association (R01HL126705, 17GRNT33650018, R01DK102898)
  • Joslin Diabetes Center (P30DK36836, K23-DK114550)
  • TrygFonden
  • National Institutes of Health (17GRNT33650018, DK 36836, 5r01dk112283-03)
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (18K16208)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL126705, R01HL138738, R01HL145064)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01-DK112283, R01DK077097, R01DK102898, K01DK111714, K23DK114550, R01DK033201, F32DK102320, T32DK007260, R01DK101043, P30DK036836, R01DK082659, R01DK099511)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
Keywords
TGF-beta2, glucose tolerance, fatty acid metabolism, subcutaneous white adipose tissue, lactate, dichloroacetate, inter-organ communication, myokines, high-fat feeding, exercise training, adipocytes
MeSH terms
Adipose Tissue, Animals, Fatty Acids, Glucose, Physical Conditioning, Animal, Mice, Transforming Growth Factor beta2, Adipokines

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