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. 2024 Sep 1;12(9):1975. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12091975

Table 1.

Exerkines produced by human tissues.

Exerkine Tissue/Organs Molecule Type
Autocrine effects
12,13-diHOME (12,13-dihydroxy-9Z-octadecenoic acid) BAT (Brown Adipose Tissue) Lipid
Apelin Muscle Small Peptide
Adiponectin WAT (White Adipose Tissue) Protein
BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) Brain, muscle Protein
FGF21 (Fibroblast growth factor 21) WAT Protein
HSP72 (heat shock protein 72) Muscle Protein
IL-6 (Interleukin 6) Muscle Protein
IL-7 Muscle Protein
IL-15 Muscle Protein
Irisin (FNDC5) Muscle Glycoprotein
Lactate Muscle Organic Molecule
LIF (leukaemia inhibitory factor) Muscle Protein
miRNAs Sperm RNA
Musclin/Ostreocrin Muscle, bone, brain Protein
Myostatin Muscle Protein
Nitric oxide Endothelium Inorganic Molecule
Reactive oxygen species Muscle Inorganic Molecules
SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine) Muscle Protein
SDC4 (syndecan 4) Muscle Protein
TGFβ1 (transforming growth factor β1) Muscle Protein
OXT (Oxytocin) Brain, adipose, systemic metabolism Small Peptide
METEORIN-LIKE PROTEIN (METRNL) Muscle, adipose Protein
Paracrine effects
Adiponectin Muscle Protein
Angiopoietin 1 Vasculature Glycoprotein
Angiopoietin-like proteins (ANGPTL3, ANGPTL4, ANGPTL8) Liver, adipose Protein
BAIBA (β-aminoisobutyric acid) WAT, bone Organic Molecule
BDNF Nerves Protein
Fractalkine Leukocytes Protein
FGF21 BAT Protein
GDF15 Liver Protein
IL-6 WAT Protein
IL-7 Bone Protein
IL-8 Vasculature Protein
IL-13 Muscle Protein
IL-15 WAT Protein
Irisin Adipose tissue, liver Glycoprotein
LIF Muscle Protein
Musclin Cartilage Protein
Myostatin Bone Protein
SPARC Extracellular matrix Protein
SDC4 Muscle Protein
TGFβ1 Extracellular matrix Protein
TGFβ2 (transforming growth factor β2) Muscle, BAT Protein
VEGF Endothelium Protein
OXT Brain, adipose, systemic metabolism Small Peptide
METEORIN-LIKE PROTEIN (METRNL) Muscle, adipose Protein

The biological pathways of the exerkines reported in the table can be viewed and analyzed on Reactome (https://reactome.org/, accessed on 4 August 2024).