The role of muscle tissue as an endocrine organ in the development of obesity: The relationship of adipokine/myokine/hepatokine profile with exercise capacity

It was aimed to evaluate the relationship between Asprosin, Fetuin-A, METRNL, GDF-15 levels and exercise tolerance and physiological responses to exercise test in individuals with and without obesity in our study. Ninety patients with obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) and 90 healthy controls with BMI < 25 kg/m2 were included in the study. Anthropometric measurements were recorded. Creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, glomerular filtration rate calculation, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, Homeostasis Model Assessment Index-Insulin Resistance, glycolyzed hemoglobin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL, VLDL, HDL/total cholesterol ratio, Calcium, inorganic phosphorus, albumin, ALT, AST, uric acid, thyroid stimulating hormone, free T4, free T3, Asprosin, GDF-15, Fetuin-A, Meteorin-like protein were measured from venous blood samples taken after 12 hours of fasting. Exercise capacity was evaluated using the incremental shuttle walk test. Body composition was determined with andropometric index and measurements, and with TANITA analysis. Fat percentage and muscle ratio were negatively correlated with exercise capacity, and Meteorin-like protein was positively correlated in the case group (p<0.05), while BMI was negatively and skeletal muscle index was positively correlated in control group (<0.05), Meteorin-like protein was negatively, GDF-15 was positively related with BMI. Although cytokines were not related to exercise capacity in the control group (p> 0.05), Meteorin-Like protein and Asprosin were positively correlated with exercise capacity (p <0.05). A significant relationship was determined between meteorin-like protein levels and oxygen consumption and exercise capacity. The results of our study show that exercise capacity and oxygen consumption are affected by obesity. Meteorin-like protein levels and Asprosin are related to exercise capacity. Our study is the first study of the literature in which the relationship between hepatokin, adipokine and myokine profile and exercise capacity was simultaneously investigated.