Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been identified as the cellular entry receptor
for the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). High ACE2 tissue
expression and low glycine levels were suggested to increase susceptibility for SARS-CoV-2 infection
and increasing circulating ACE2 has been proposed as one possible strategy to combat COVID-19. In
humans, aerobic physical exercise induces an increase in plasma ACE2 in some individuals. However,
it is not clear whether glycine and ACE2 levels depend on intrinsic exercise capacity or on exercise
training. We used rats selectively bred for high intrinsic exercise capacity (HCR) or low exercise
capacity (LCR) and tested the influence of this genetic predetermination and/or aerobic exercise
on metabolites, ACE2 tissue expression and circulating ACE 2. ACE2 expression was measured in
different tissues in the sedentary animals and again after 4 weeks of high-intensity aerobic exercise in
both LCRs and HCRs. Sedentary HCRs exhibited significantly higher circulating ACE2 concentrations
compared to LCRs, but a lower expression of ACE2 in all investigated tissues except for adipose
tissue. Body weight was negatively correlated with serum ACE2 and positively correlated with ACE2
expression in the heart. Aerobic exercise caused a significant decrease in ACE2 expression in the
lung, heart, muscle, and kidney both in LCRs and HCRs. Our results suggest that ACE2 expression,
circulating ACE2 and glycine serum concentration are related to aerobic intrinsic exercise capacity
and can be influenced with exercise. These results may support the hypothesis that physically fit
individuals have a lower susceptibility for COVID-19 infection.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:87525 |
| Date | 20 October 2023 |
| Creators | Klöting, Nora, Schwarzer, Michael, Heyne, Estelle, Ceglarek, Uta, Hoffmann, Anne, Krohn, Knut, Doenst, Torsten, Blüher, Matthias |
| Publisher | MDPI |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | 548 |
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