Sandile Fuku
North-West University, South Africa
Title: Calmodulin dependent protein kinase (CaMK)II activation by exercise regulates lipid metabolism in rat skeletal muscle
Biography
Biography: Sandile Fuku
Abstract
Background
Activation of Calmodulin dependent protein kinase (CaMK)II by exercise has plethora of benefits in metabolism and health. Regulation of lipid metabolism is very significant to alleviate type 2 diabetes and obesity. The role of CaMKII in the regulation of genes that are involved in lipid metabolism has not been studied yet, which became the focus of this study.
Methods
Five to six weeks old male Wistar rats were used in this study. Western blot was performed to assess the protein expression of Carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT)-1 and Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC)-1. Cpt-1 and Acc-1 gene expressions were assessed using Quantitative real time PCR (qPCR).
Results
The results indicate that exercise-induced CaMKII activation increases CPT-1 expression and decreases ACC-1 expression in rat skeletal muscle. Thus, confirming CaMKII activation by exercise and the resultant increase in lipid oxidation. Administration of KN93 (CaMKII inhibitor) reversed all exercise-induced changes.
Conclusions
This study demonstrated that CaMKII activation, by exercise, regulates lipid metabolism genes in rat skeletal muscle. Further, the increase in lipid oxidation and decrease in lipid synthesis are evidence of the regulatory role CaMKII in lipid metabolism. CaMKII is a potential target in designing novel therapeutic drugs in the management and treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.