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Physical activity attenuates postprandial hyperglycaemia in homozygous TBC1D4 loss-of-function mutation carriers.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Schnurr, Theresia M  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6573-4959
Jørsboe, Emil 
Chadt, Alexandra 
Dahl-Petersen, Inger K 
Kristensen, Jonas M 

Abstract

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The common muscle-specific TBC1D4 p.Arg684Ter loss-of-function variant defines a subtype of non-autoimmune diabetes in Arctic populations. Homozygous carriers are characterised by elevated postprandial glucose and insulin levels. Because 3.8% of the Greenlandic population are homozygous carriers, it is important to explore possibilities for precision medicine. We aimed to investigate whether physical activity attenuates the effect of this variant on 2 h plasma glucose levels after an oral glucose load. METHODS: In a Greenlandic population cohort (n = 2655), 2 h plasma glucose levels were obtained after an OGTT, physical activity was estimated as physical activity energy expenditure and TBC1D4 genotype was determined. We performed TBC1D4-physical activity interaction analysis, applying a linear mixed model to correct for genetic admixture and relatedness. RESULTS: Physical activity was inversely associated with 2 h plasma glucose levels (β[main effect of physical activity] -0.0033 [mmol/l] / [kJ kg-1 day-1], p = 6.5 × 10-5), and significantly more so among homozygous carriers of the TBC1D4 risk variant compared with heterozygous carriers and non-carriers (β[interaction] -0.015 [mmol/l] / [kJ kg-1 day-1], p = 0.0085). The estimated effect size suggests that 1 h of vigorous physical activity per day (compared with resting) reduces 2 h plasma glucose levels by an additional ~0.7 mmol/l in homozygous carriers of the risk variant. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Physical activity improves glucose homeostasis particularly in homozygous TBC1D4 risk variant carriers via a skeletal muscle TBC1 domain family member 4-independent pathway. This provides a rationale to implement physical activity as lifestyle precision medicine in Arctic populations. DATA REPOSITORY: The Greenlandic Cardio-Metabochip data for the Inuit Health in Transition study has been deposited at the European Genome-phenome Archive ( https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ega/dacs/EGAC00001000736 ) under accession EGAD00010001428.

Description

Keywords

Arctic, Gene-environment interaction, Lifestyle therapy, Physical activity, Postprandial hyperglycaemia, TBC1D4 loss-of-function, Adult, Blood Glucose, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Exercise, Female, GTPase-Activating Proteins, Gene-Environment Interaction, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genotyping Techniques, Glucose Tolerance Test, Greenland, Humans, Hyperglycemia, Insulin, Inuit, Life Style, Loss of Function Mutation, Male, Middle Aged, Postprandial Period

Journal Title

Diabetologia

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0012-186X
1432-0428

Volume Title

64

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Sponsorship
MRC (MC_UU_00006/4)
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015/3)