Poster Presentation 33rd ASM of the Australian & New Zealand Bone & Mineral Society 2023

The effect of prednisolone on lipocalin-2 and its forms in young males effects of exercise  (#221)

Carlie Bauer 1 , Rhiannon Patten 1 , Quiyang Sun 2 3 , Haoyun Li 2 3 , Daniels Konja 2 3 , Mary Woessner 1 , Xuzhu Lin 4 , Andrew Garnham 5 , David L Hare 6 , Peter R Ebeling 7 8 , Marc Sim 9 10 , Joshua R Lewis 9 10 11 , Yu Wang 2 3 , Lewan Parker 5 , Itamar Levinger 1 12
  1. Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Footscray, Victoria, Australia
  2. The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
  3. Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
  4. Centre for Cancer Research, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
  5. Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
  6. Department of Cardiology, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  7. Department of Endocrinology, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
  8. Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
  9. Medical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
  10. Nutrition & Health Innovation Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia
  11. Centre for Kidney Research, Children's Hospital at Westmead School of Public Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  12. Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), Victoria University, University of Melbourne and Western Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

64b9bd5723f4f-2023+ANZBMS+Bauer+et+al+table.jpgObjectives

Elevated lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is associated with increased risk of cardio-metabolic disease. LCN2 has different forms including a polyaminated (hLCN2), secreted by osteoblasts, and non-polyaminated (C87A and R81E), secreted by adipocytes. Glucocorticoids negatively affect bone and energy metabolism while exercise improves energy metabolism. As such, both glucocorticoids and exercise potentially regulate circulating LCN2. We hypothesised that glucocorticoids would suppress LCN2 and its forms, at baseline and following exercise

Methods

In a double-blind, randomised crossover design, nine young, healthy males (aged 27.8 ± 4.9 years, BMI 24.4 ± 2.4 kg/m2) completed 30 mins of high intensity aerobic exercise (4 sets x 4 mins at 90-95% HRR) after glucocorticoid (20 mg prednisolone) or placebo treatments. Blood was collected at baseline, immediately post-exercise, 1 h post-exercise (variant analyses only), and 3 h post-exercise. LCN2 was analysed using commercially available ELISA (LCN2 Abcam – primary outcome) and different forms of LCN2 (hLCN2, C87A and R81E) using in-house assays previously validated, secondary outcomes.  

Results

LCN2 (Abcam) was elevated after prednisolone compared with placebo (main treatment effect of ~10%; p = 0.015). Prednisolone treatment had no effect on individual LCN2 forms (all p > 0.53). Regardless of treatment, or assay used, LCN2, C87A, R81E, and hLCN2 increased immediately after exercise (all p < 0.033).  LCN2, but not the forms, remained elevated at 3 h post-ex (p = 0.048).

Conclusion

In contrast to our hypothesis, prednisolone had a limited effect on LCN2, however, both LCN2 and its forms are transiently increased by acute exercise in young healthy males, independent of assay used. The role of LCN2 and it forms in exercise and glucose metabolism warrant further investigation.