Summary: Physical exercise triggers extracellular vesicles (EVs)—tiny particles in the blood—to act as temporary transport shuttles for key hormone precursors. During vigorous exercise, levels of the hormone precursor POMC attaching to EVs increase fourfold, suggesting a newly uncovered mechanism for how stress, energy balance, and mood may shift after movement.
EV-bound POMC also crosses blood vessel barriers, including the blood–brain barrier, more efficiently than POMC alone, offering insight into how exercise may influence brain function. The findings open new possibilities for understanding metabolism, pain, mental health, immune responses, and drug delivery.
Key Facts:
- Exercise Boosts POMC Transport: Vigorous exercise causes a fourfold increase in POMC molecules hitching onto EVs.
- Efficient Barrier Crossing: EV-bound POMC crosses blood vessel barriers—including the blood–brain barrier—better than POMC alone.
- Wide Health Implications: This mechanism may influence pain relief, stress, metabolism, inflammation, mental health, and future therapeutic delivery.
Source: Touro University
Researchers at Touro University Nevada have discovered that tiny particles in the blood, called extracellular vesicles (EVs), are a major player in how a group of hormones are shuttled through the body.
Full story: Exercise Supercharges Hormone Transport to the Brain - Neuroscience News