Background: To explore the effect of aerobic training (AT), resistance training (RT) or a combination of AT and RT (AT+RT) on the function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in mice with type 2 diabetes and the potential effective mechanisms Methods: Eight-week-old db/db male mice were used as type 2 diabetic animal models in this study. Mice were randomly assigned to the control group (n = 5), AT group (n = 5), RT group (n = 5) and AT+RT group (n = 5). Mice in the control group remained sedentary with no specific training requirement. Mice were motivated to perform AT, RT or AT+RT by a gentle pat on their body for 3 or 4 days/week for 14 days. AT was performed by treadmill running, RT was performed by ladder climbing and AT+RT involved both AT and RT. Bone-derived EPCs were isolated after 14 days of the intervention. EPC expression of CD31, CD34, CD133, CD144 and VEGFR2 was detected by immunofluorescence staining. Fluorescence detection was performed on attached mononuclear cells to detect double-positive EPCs. We then explored the effect of caveolin-1 knockdown (lentiviral vector with caveolin-1-siRNA) on the proliferation and adherence of EPCs and the concentration of caveolin-1 and PI3K/AKT via western blot analyses. Results: Compared to the mice in the control group, the mice in the AT, RT and AT+RT groups presented significant increases in proliferation and adherence after 14 days of intervention. AT+RT induced an increase in EPC adherence, which was greater than that of the control, RT and AT groups. Caveolin-1 knockdown inhibited the EPC proliferative and adherent abilities. The AT+RT group showed higher levels of caveolin-1 and p-AKT than the control group, but these changes were decreased by caveolin-1-siRNA transfection. Conclusion: Combined AT and RT is an effective way to improve EPC function through upregulation of caveolin-1 in mice with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Obesity is a major global health issue, driving high morbidity and mortality rates. The body roundness index (BRI), which includes waist circumference, offers a more accurate measure of visceral and total body fat. However, despite evidence of BRI's effectiveness in predicting obesity-related diseases, national-level data, especially from non-Western populations like China, remain limited.Methods: This study utilized data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a large, nationally representative cohort of Chinese adults, to examine the temporal trends of BRI, identify associated risk factors, and investigate the longitudinal associations between BRI and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. BRI was calculated using height and waist circumference measurements. Temporal trends and risk factors were analyzed cross-sectionally, while longitudinal associations were examined using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for confounders. Mediation analyses were conducted to assess the role of intermediate factors such as hypertension and diabetes in the relationship between BRI and CVD.Results: A total of 12,902 participants were included for risk factor analysis, 10,525 for longitudinal analysis, and 7,310 for cumulative analysis. BRI continued to rise slowly across survey cycles but was higher in women, older adults, and urban residents. Multivariable analysis identified age, alcohol consumption, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes as positive predictors of BRI, while male sex, rural residence, and smoking were negatively associated. Higher baseline BRI was significantly associated with increased CVD risk (HR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.22–1.69), stroke (HR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.12–1.98), and heart disease (HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.22–1.77). Cumulative BRI similarly predicted increased risks of CVD, stroke, and heart disease. Mediation analysis showed that hypertension accounted for 20.69% of the association between BRI and CVD risk.Conclusions: BRI is a robust predictor of CVD risk. Targeting hypertension and other metabolic conditions could mitigate the elevated CVD risk associated with high BRI in Chinese adults. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating BRI into public health strategies to better manage obesity-related health risks in China.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common metabolic disorder occurring during pregnancy. It affects 14.8% of pregnancies among Chinese women. Exercise can reduce insulin resistance and thus decrease the occurrence of adverse outcomes for women with GDM. This study aimed to examine the effects of three modes of exercise intervention on glycemic control, various pregnancy outcomes (including reduced incidence of preterm birth, gestational hypertension, and postpartum hemorrhage), and neonatal outcomes (such as lower birth weight and reduced incidence of neonatal complications like macrosomia and respiratory distress syndrome). Additionally, the study aim to identity the most effective exercise patterns for women with GDM. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted to examine the effect of three exercise interventions — aerobic exercise (AE), resistance training (RT), and a combination of both (AE+RT) — on women with GDM. The primary outcomes measured were fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2-hour postprandial blood glucose (2h-PBG), and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). The secondary outcomes included maternal pregnancy outcomes and neonatal birth outcomes. Results: A total of 184 participants were included in this study, with 145 completing all follow-up assessments. Time exhibit a statistically significant effect on FBG (p < 0.001), whereas the different intervention methods did not present a significant effect on FBG (p = 0.32). Furthermore, time exhibited a statistically significant effect on 2h-PBG (p < 0.001). Following the interventions, all exercise groups exhibited significantly lower 2h-PBG levels compared to the control group (all p values < 0.05). The three exercise interventions demonstrated significantly different effects on improving the maternal outcome of postpartum hemorrhage (p = 0.01). The combined AE+RT group exhibited the lowest volume of postpartum hemorrhage (254.09, standard deviation (SD) = 103.57). Regarding neonatal outcomes, the macrosomia outcome has statistically significant differences (p = 0.04), and other outcomes found no significant differences between the three exercise intervention groups and the control group (all p values ≥ 0.05). Conclusions: The combined AE+RT intervention demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing 2h-PBG, HbA1c levels, as well as postpartum bleeding, compared to the control group. Furthermore, a combination of AE+RT demonstrated greater efficacy in reducing 2h-PBG and HbA1c compared to single exercise groups. Therefore, combining AE+RT may be a more effective exercise regimen for managing of GDM in pregnant women. Clinical Trial Registration: The study has been registered on https://www.isrctn.com/ (registration number: ISRCTN40260907).

Introduction: Evidence has proved that exercise increases migration and tube formation of rat EPCs. But the mechanism behind the improved function of EPCs by exercise remains unclear.Methods: This study conducted 8-week exercise interventions (aerobic, resistance, or combined) in 6-week-old type 2 diabetic mice, assessing post-exercise glucose, weight, GLP-1, and gut microbiota. Mice with optimal outcomes were selected as fecal donors for microbiota transplantation via gavage. Recipient mice were evaluated for GLP-1, microbiota changes, and endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) proliferation/migration.Results: Exercise altered microbial composition (e.g., increased Prevotellaceae and Ligilactobacillus), while fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT) enriched Akkermansia. Notably, FMT elevated plasma Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels by 0.92 pmmol/L (P < 0.001) compared to controls, surpassing the modest, non-significant effects of exercise alone. Critically, FMT enhanced EPC’s proliferation (P < 0.007 vs. controls) and migration (P < 0.05), mirroring exercise-induced improvements. While exercise reduced body weight (e.g., 10.58 g in aerobic training (AT), P < 0.001) and blood glucose, FMT amplified these metabolic benefits, lowering glucose by 9.22 mmol/L (P < 0.001).Discussion: Our findings suggest that exercise improves EPC’s function in diabetic mice via gut microbiota modulation, with FMT synergistically enhancing GLP-1 secretion. The identified microbiota (Prevotellaceae, Ligilactobacillus, Akkermansia) may serve as therapeutic targets for T2DM(T2DM) and its cardiovascular complications.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors noticed the bar chart of relative protein expression of Caveolin-1 and p-PI3Kp85 is similar in Fig. 7B and C. They had mistakenly duplicated the same statistical result data of p-PI3Kp85 when using GraphadPrim software to export the bar graph of Caveolin-1. The corrected Fig. 7 is given in this article.