PGC-1α and Exercise: Important Partners in Combating Insulin Resistance
Abstract
Diabetes and obesity are characterised by an impairment in mitochondrial function resulting in a decrease in glucose and fatty acid oxidation, respiration and an increase in intramuscular triglycerides (IMTG's) and insulin resistance. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is a nuclear transcriptional coactivator which regulates several important metabolic processes including, mitochondrial biogenesis, adaptive thermogenesis, respiration, insulin secretion and gluconeogenesis. In addition, PGC-1alpha has been shown to increase the percentage of oxidative type I muscle fibres, with the latter responsible for the majority of insulin stimulated glucose uptake. PGC-1alpha also co-activates PPAR's alpha, beta/delta and gamma which are important transcription factors of genes regulating lipid and glucose metabolism. Exercise causes mitochondrial biogenesis, improves skeletal muscle fatty acid oxidation capacity and insulin sensitivity, therefore making it an important intervention for the treatment of insulin resistance. The expression of PGC-1alpha mRNA is reduced in diabetic subjects, however, it is rapidly induced in response to interventions which signal alterations in metabolic requirements, such as exercise. Because of the important role of PGC-1alpha in the control of energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity, it is seen as a candidate factor in the etiology of type 2 diabetes and a drug target for its therapeutic treatment.
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PGC-1α, a powerful regulator of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, shows marked declines with aging.
“peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α), a powerful regulator of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism,(Liang and Ward 2006;Russell 2005;Spiegelman 2007) shows marked declines with aging.(Corton and Brown-Borg 2005;Ling, Poulsen, Carlsson, Ridderstrale, Almgren, Wojtaszewski, Beck-Nielsen, Groop, and Vaag 2004)”
From Successful aging: Advancing the science of physical independence in older adults (2015) · cites this paper as Russell 2005
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BackgroundSelf-citation
- Authors
- Russell, A.
- Affiliations
- Clinique Romande de Réadaptation (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Russell, Aaron
- ORCID
- Russell, Aaron
- Venue
- Current Diabetes Reviews
- Publisher
- Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
- Published
- 2005-06-01
- Volume
- 1
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 175-181
- ISSN
- 1573-3998 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1979264726
- Cited by
- 48
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.40
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Current Diabetes Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
- Keywords
- PGC-1α, physical activity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, obesity, mitochondrial biogenesis, skeletal muscle, fatty acid oxidation, glucose uptake, intramuscular triglycerides, energy metabolism, therapeutic target
- MeSH terms
- Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha, Diabetes Mellitus, Heat-Shock Proteins, Humans, Insulin, Mitochondria, Models, Biological, Obesity, Receptor, Insulin, Transcription Factors, Exercise, Muscle, Skeletal, Muscle Fibers, Skeletal, PPAR delta, PPAR-beta, Diabetes Complications
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