Serum levels of the myokines receptor activator of nuclear factor κ B ligand, matrix metalloproteinase 2, and irisin in young horses during ontogeny and in response to exercise
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Objective: To quantify circulating levels of myokines with a known role in bone remodeling (receptor activator of nuclear factor κ B ligand [RANK-L], matrix metalloproteinase 2 [MMP-2], and irisin) in foals in response to exercise and over the first year of life. Methods: 12 foals were enrolled in the study; 6 underwent an 8-week exercise program, and 6 were nonexercised controls. Blood samples were collected between 2 and 11 months of age. Receptor activator of nuclear factor κ B ligand, MMP-2, and irisin were quantified using equine-specific ELISAs. Results: RANK-L, MMP-2, and irisin did not change directly in response to a modest exercise regimen in young foals. Exercised females had greater circulating irisin than their male counterparts; this difference was not present in control foals. Irisin decreased with age, and RANK-L trended toward a small increase with age over the course of the study, whereas MMP-2 did not change. Conclusions: RANK-L may be worth further investigation as a biomarker for musculoskeletal remodeling during growth, but it could not discriminate between exercised and nonexercised groups in this study cohort. The sex-specific response of irisin in the exercise cohort was unexpected and supports further investigation into the complex interactions between the musculoskeletal system, hormones, and exercise in young foals. Additional studies are warranted to validate these study findings under various exercise conditions and correlate circulating myokine levels with changes in the bone properties of foals. Clinical Relevance: The use of serum levels of myokines as a proxy to evaluate active skeletal remodeling could provide a minimally invasive mechanism for assessing changes during normal growth and in response to exercise.
Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Language: English
Subfield: Equine
Field: Veterinary
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4415524908
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