Interval Exercise Lowers Circulating CD105 Extracellular Vesicles in Prediabetes

Background Extracellular vesicles (EV) are purported to mediate type 2 diabetes and CVD risk and development. Physical activity and a balanced diet reduce disease risk, but no study has tested the hypothesis that short-term interval (INT) training would reduce EV compared with continuous (CONT) exercise in adults with prediabetes. Methods Eighteen obese adults (age, 63.8 ± 1.5 yr; body mass index, 31.0 ± 1.3 kg·m^-2) were screened for prediabetes using American Diabetes Association criteria (75 g oral glucose tolerance test). Subjects were randomized to INT (n = 10, alternating 3-min intervals at 90% and 50% HR^peak, respectively) or CONT (n = 8, 70% HR^peak) training for 12 supervised sessions over 13 d for 60 min·d^-1. Cardiorespiratory fitness (VO^2peak), weight (kg), as well as ad libitum dietary intake were assessed and arterial stiffness (augmentation index via applanation tonometry) was calculated using total AUC during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test performed 24 h after the last exercise bout. Total EV, platelet EV (CD31⁺/CD41⁺), endothelial EV (CD105; CD31⁺/ CD41^-), platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM) (CD31⁺), and leukocyte EV (CD45⁺; CD45⁺/CD41^-) were analyzed via imaging flow cytometry preintervention/postintervention. Results The INT exercise increased VO^2peak (P = 0.04) compared with CONT training. Although training had no effect on platelet or leukocyte EV, INT decreased Annexin V- endothelial EV CD105 compared with CONT (P = 0.04). However, after accounting for dietary sugar intake, the intensity effect was lost (P = 0.18). Increased ad libitum dietary sugar intake after training was linked to elevated AV+ CD105 (r = 0.49, P = 0.06) and AV- CD45⁺ (r = 0.59, P = 0.01). Nonetheless, increased VO^2peak correlated with decreased AV+ CD105 (r = -0.60, P = 0.01). Conclusions Interval exercise training decreases endothelial-derived EV in adults with prediabetes. Although increased sugar consumption may alter EV after a short-term exercise intervention, fitness modifies EV count.