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Circulating miRNAs as potential biomarkers for light intensity exercise-induced enhancements in empathy

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Abstract

Purpose

Exercise positively impacts social abilities like empathy, which is indispensable for sustaining relationships with others. Regular exercise at light intensity enhances empathic behavior; nonetheless, its biomarkers remain unknown. Here, we evaluated the effects of light-intensity exercise, which enhances hel** behavior, on circulating miRNA profile in mice.

Methods

Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to exercise at light intensity (7.0 m/min, 30 min/day, 5 days/week) for four weeks and a hel** behavior test. The plasma was subsequently collected to analyze miRNA expressions using next-generation sequencing.

Results

We found that four weeks of light-intensity exercise significantly increased 11 miRNAs in the plasma of mice. This exercise regimen also significantly reduced 29 miRNAs in the plasma of mice. Seven out of 11 upregulated miRNAs and nine of 29 downregulated miRNAs showed significant correlations with hel** behavior in mice; the miRNAs related to neuronal growth were also included, such as miR-29a-3p and miR-142b.

Conclusion

These results imply that miRNAs are applicable as liquid biomarkers for reflecting the effects of light-intensity exercise on empathy; it might also be developed as a possible indicator for treating empathy.

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Data availability

The datasets in the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We also thank Dr. Yuichi Uosaki, Mr. Yohei Morishita, Ms. Yoko Yokoyama, Ms. Hiroko Matsuda, and Ms. Saori Umezawa for their helpful technical assistance.

Funding

This work was supported by the Nakatomi Foundation; the Uehara Memorial Foundation; the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists, No. 20K19565 and 22K17711); the Fostering Health Professionals for Changing Needs of Cancer; the Promotion Plan for the Platform of Human Resource Development for Cancer, New Paradigms—Establishing Center for Fostering Medical Researchers of the Future Programs [Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) of Japan]; and Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR). This work was the result of using research equipment shared in the MEXT Project for promoting public utilization of advanced research infrastructure (Program for supporting the introduction of the new sharing system) Grant Number JPMXS0420600120. We thank the Laboratory for Analytical Instruments, Education and Research Support Center, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health and Physical Education, Cooperative Faculty of Education, Gunma University, 4-2 Aramaki-Machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8510, Japan

    Takeru Shima, Hayate Onishi, Tomonori Yoshikawa, Keisuke Yoshii & Yuika Yoshikawa

  2. Division of Integrated Oncology Research, Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research, Gunma University, 3-39-22 Showa-Machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan

    Reika Kawabata-Iwakawa

  3. Course of Biomedical Sciences in Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, 3-39-22 Showa-Machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan

    Hayate Onishi

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  1. Takeru Shima
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  2. Reika Kawabata-Iwakawa
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  3. Hayate Onishi
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  4. Tomonori Yoshikawa
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  5. Keisuke Yoshii
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  6. Yuika Yoshikawa
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Contributions

TS: conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Writing–original draft, Writing–review & editing, RK-I: investigation, Writing–review & editing, HO: investigation, Writing–review & editing, TY: investigation, Writing–review & editing, KY: investigation, Writing–review & editing, YY: investigation, Writing–review & editing.

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Correspondence to Takeru Shima.

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The experiments were pre-approved (approval No. 21-002) and conducted following the Gunma University Animal Care and Experimentation Committee.

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Shima, T., Kawabata-Iwakawa, R., Onishi, H. et al. Circulating miRNAs as potential biomarkers for light intensity exercise-induced enhancements in empathy. Sport Sci Health 20, 387–393 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-023-01111-6

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