Dominik H Pesta

German Aerospace Center (DLR) | DLR · Institute of Aerospace Medicine

Sport verbessert die körperliche Fitness, beugt Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen vor und steigert das psychische Wohlbefinden. Eine der größten Herausforderungen im Alltag von Menschen mit Typ-1-Diabetes ist es, den Glukosespiegel vor, während und nach dem Sport im physiologischen Bereich zu halten. In diesem Beitrag beschreiben wir, durch welche geziel...

For many people with type 1 diabetes, sport is a central part of their lives. Sport improves physical fitness, prevents cardiovascular diseases and increases the psychological well-being of persons with type 1 diabetes. In addition, exercise increases insulin sensitivity. However, one of the biggest challenges in the daily life of individuals with...

Aims/hypothesis It remains unclear whether and which modality of exercise training as a component of lifestyle intervention may exert favourable effects on somatosensory and autonomic nerve tests in people with type 2 diabetes. Methods Cardiovascular autonomic and somatosensory nerve function as well as intraepidermal nerve fibre density (IENFD) w...

Decreased expression of the plasma membrane citrate transporter INDY (acronym I’m Not Dead, Yet) promotes longevity and protects from high-fat diet- and aging-induced metabolic derangements. Preventing citrate import into hepatocytes by different strategies can reduce hepatic triglyceride accumulation and improve hepatic insulin sensitivity, even i...

Early-life diets may have a long-lasting impact on metabolic health. This study tested the hypothesis that an early-life diet with large, phospholipid-coated lipid droplets (Concept) induces sustained improvements of hepatic mitochondrial function and metabolism. Young C57BL/6j mice were fed Concept or control (CTRL) diet from postnatal day 15 (PN1...

Objective: Individuals with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk of progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver (steatosis) to steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, and cirrhosis. The hepatic metabolism of obese individuals adapts by upregulation of mitochondrial capacity, which may be lost during the progression of steatosis. However, the role of type 2 di...

Aims/hypothesis Energy-dense nutrition generally induces insulin resistance, but dietary composition may differently affect glucose metabolism. This study investigated initial effects of monounsaturated vs saturated lipid meals on basal and insulin-stimulated myocellular glucose metabolism and insulin signalling. Methods In a randomised crossover...

Context Physical inactivity promotes insulin resistance and increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Recently introduced clustering based on simple clinical measures identified diabetes subgroups (clusters) with different risks of diabetes-related comorbidities and complications. Objective This study aims to determine differences...

Zusammenfassung: Bergsport kann nahezu altersunabhängig zu allen Jahreszeiten in der einen oder anderen Form ausgeübt werden und zählt daher zu den beliebtesten sportlichen Tätigkeiten im Alpenraum. Allerdings stellt Bergsport auch relativ hohe Anforderungen an die individuelle Ausdauerleistungsfähigkeit, die durch regelmäßiges Training erreicht be...

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) improves cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max), but its impact on metabolism remains unclear. We hypothesized that 12-week HIIT increases insulin sensitivity in males with or without type 2 diabetes [T2D and NDM (nondiabetic humans)]. However, despite identically higher VO2max, mainly insulin-resistant (IR) pers...

Purpose Recent trials demonstrated remission of type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) following formula diet-induced weight loss. To improve the outreach for populations in need, many mobile health apps targeting weight loss have been developed with limited scientific evaluation of these apps. The present feasibility study i...

The rs540467 SNP in the NDUFB6 gene, encoding a mitochondrial complex I subunit, has been shown to modulate adaptations to exercise training. Interaction effects with diabetes mellitus remain unclear. We assessed associations of habitual physical activity (PA) levels with metabolic variables and examined a possible modifying effect of the rs540467...

Human blood cells may offer a minimally invasive strategy to study systemic alterations of mitochondrial function. Here we tested the reliability of a protocol designed to study mitochondrial respiratory control in human platelets (PLTs) in field studies, using high-resolution respirometry (HRR). Several factors may trigger PLT aggregation during t...

Recent evidence demonstrates an involvement of impaired mitochondrial function in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) development. Specific impairments have been assessed by different methodological in-vivo (near-infrared spectroscopy, 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy), as well as in-vitro approaches (Western blotting of mitochondrial proteins and...

Genome-wide association studies have identified SLC16A13 as a novel susceptibility gene for type 2 diabetes. The SLC16A13 gene encodes SLC16A13/MCT13, a member of the solute carrier 16 family of monocarboxylate transporters. Despite its potential importance to diabetes development, the physiological function of SLC16A13 is unknown. Here, we validat...

Background Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is accompanied by myopathy characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction. The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the effect of revascularization procedures on mitochondrial function in ischemic and non-ischemic muscle. Methods Muscle biopsies from patients with symptomatic stage IIB/III PAD...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) accelerates progression of fatty liver to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis. Mitochondrial function is also frequently impaired in DM, but maybe differently regulated in NAFLD. Thus, we examined hepatic mitochondrial respiration during DM and NAFLD development. Two-days old male C57BL/6j mice received streptozo...

Physical inactivity promotes insulin resistance and increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Clustering based on simple clinical measures has been introduced for identifying diabetes subgroups with different risk of complications. However, little is known about physical fitness and cardiovascular risk factors in these clusters. We...

Altered mitochondrial dynamics may contribute to impaired mitochondrial function and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes (T2D). High intensity interval training (HIIT) can induce mitochondrial biogenesis in healthy humans, but its impact on mitochondrial remodeling in insulin resistant states is still unclear. To this end, this study examined th...

Adipose dysfunction may drive the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and nonalcoholic (NA) fatty liver disease (NAFLD), comprising NA fatty liver and steatohepatitis (NAFL and NASH). Possible underlying mechanism comprise impaired lipid storage or mitochondrial oxidation favoring increased fatty acid flux to other tissues. Thu...

Regular physical exercise and a healthy diet are major determinants of a healthy lifespan. Although aging is associated with declining endurance performance and muscle function, these components can favorably be modified by regular physical activity and especially by exercise training at all ages in both sexes. In addition, age-related changes in b...

Only a few studies have evaluated changes in mitochondrial function and oxidative stress associated with ultramarathon running. Invasive biopsies are needed to assess mitochondrial function of skeletal muscle, which may not be well tolerated by some individuals. Platelets (PLTs) as a metabolically highly active and homogenous cell population were s...

OBJECTIVE To investigate physiological responses to cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) testing in adults with type 1 diabetes compared with age-, sex-, and BMI-matched control participants without type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We compared results from CPX tests on a cycle ergometer in individuals with type 1 diabetes and control partici...

Context Type 2 diabetes associates with greater risk for musculoskeletal disorders, yet its impact on joint function remains unclear. Objective We hypothesized that patients with type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis would exhibit musculoskeletal impairment, which would associate with insulin resistance and distinct microRNA profiles. Design, Partic...

Blood flow restriction resistance training (BFRT) employs partial vascular occlusion of exercising muscles via inflation cuffs. Compared with high-load resistance training, mechanical load is markedly reduced with BFRT, but induces similar gains in muscle mass and strength. BFRT is thus an effective training strategy for people with physical limita...

High intensity interval training (HIIT) improves cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max), but its impact on metabolism remains unclear. We hypothesized that 12-week HIIT improves insulin sensitivity in people with or without type 2 diabetes (T2D, NDM). However, despite identically improved VO2max, mainly insulin-resistant persons (T2D, IR NDM) responded...

Background Alterations of mitochondrial function have been identified to play a role in Heart Failure (HF) pathophysiology. Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity of the myocardium was shown to be reduced in the failing heart. Ineffective mitochondrial function promotes formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that may affect remodelling in...

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a major risk factor for chronic heart failure, even independent of coronary artery disease. Various underlying mechanisms worsening ventricular function in T2DM have been postulated based on data from animal studies, including mitochondrial abnormalities, alterations of Nuclear factor kappa-B (NfκB) expression, in...

Background Patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) develop ischemia-induced myopathy with alteration of mitochondrial function. High-resolution respirometry (HRR) can be used to study mitochondrial function.Objective Overview of in vivo and in vitro investigation methods to study mitochondrial function. Detailed description of the HRR proce...

Early life nutrition possibly influences long-term metabolic outcomes. Previous studies in mice showed that adult obesity and energy metabolism can be improved by early life exposure to an infant milk formula (IMF) with large (3-5μm), (milk)-phospholipid coated lipid droplets (Concept diet, Nuturis®). This study examined the effects of the Concept...

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is tightly associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. There is evidence that mitochondrial function is altered in both diseases. Here, we examined hepatic mitochondria during different stages of NAFLD in mice with experimental diabetes. Two-days old male C57BL/6j mice received 200 µg streptozotocin (STAM)...

Small extracellular vesicles (SEV) are secreted into circulation after acute exercise suggesting a new mode of tissue crosstalk. High intensity interval training (HIIT) leads to improved insulin sensitivity and oxidative capacity in patients with type 2 diabetes. As the impact of HIIT on SEV release is unknown, this study examined its effects on nu...

Nuclear factor kappa-B (NFkB) has been postulated to induce cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction in heart failure and triggers inflammatory pathways. NFkB can be induced by damaged mitochondria. Its association with myocardial mitochondrial respiratory function in non-ischemic diabetes-related heart failure in humans is yet unclear. We hypothesized tha...

Hypercaloric diets cause dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. Nevertheless, the degree of fatty acid (FA) saturation may differently affect metabolism and risk of cardiovascular diseases, with saturated FA (SAFA) considered to be harmful and polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) considered to be beneficial. Thu...

Low blood phosphate (Pi) reduces muscle function in hypophosphatemic disorders. Which Pi transporters are required and whether hormonal changes due to hypophosphatemia contribute to muscle function is unknown. To address these questions we generated a series of conditional knockout mice lacking one or both house-keeping Pi transporters Pit1 and Pit...

Objectives: Myopathy, characterised by altered mitochondrial function, is a central part of the pathophysiology of peripheral arterial disease and the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of revascularisation on mitochondrial function. Methods: High resolution respirometry was used to investigate mitochondrial respiration and the resu...

Ultramarathon running represents a major physical challenge even for elite athletes. Runners wellbeing may be challenged by fluid and electrolyte disturbances, hemolysis and skeletal muscle damage, decline in hepatic function and kidney injury. We hypothesized that these effects may even be exacerbated in non-elite runners. Physiological, hematolog...

Background Impairment of myocardial mitochondrial function is regarded as an established pathomechanism in heart failure. Enhanced oxidation of ketone bodies may potentially exert protective effects on myocardial function. High-resolution respirometry (HRR) resembles a gold-standard methodology to determine myocardial mitochondrial metabolism and o...

The mechanisms underlying improved insulin sensitivity after surgically-induced weight loss are still unclear. We monitored skeletal muscle metabolism in obese individuals before and over 52 weeks after metabolic surgery. Initial weight loss occurs in parallel with a decrease in muscle oxidative capacity and respiratory control ratio. Persistent el...

Background Epidemiological studies have shown that increased circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D). This may result from altered energy metabolism or dietary habits. Objective We hypothesized that a lower intake of BCAAs improves tissue-specific insulin sensitivity. Methods...

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the most common liver disorder worldwide. Specifically, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis pose an enormous burden for patients and health-care systems. In the absence of approved pharmacological therapies, effective lifestyle interventions for NAFLD, such as dietary strategies and...

Hyperinsulinemia and impaired insulin secretion are potential contributors to the development of diabetes-related heart failure. Interference with ventricular myocardial mitochondria might play a key pathogenic role, but human data confirming these connections are limited. We hypothesized that ventricular myocardial mitochondrial function is impair...

Recent controlled trials have demonstrated that type 2 diabetes (T2D) remission is possible with significant weight loss in people with newly diagnosed T2D. However, current programs focus on face-to-face education and behavior change, which limit scalability and inclusivity. We examined the effect of a digital education and behavior change program...

It remains unclear, whether exercise training as part of lifestyle intervention has favorable effects on the development or progression of diabetic neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Therefore, we assessed peripheral and autonomic nerve fiber function and morphology in patients with T2D as well as in individuals with normal glucose...

Fragestellung: Diabetes mellitus Typ 2 (T2DM) ist mit gestörter kardialer Mitochondrienfunktion assoziiert und ein unabhängiger Risikofaktor für die Entstehung einer Herzinsuffizienz. Im Skelettmuskel steigern postprandiale Insulinspiegel die mitochondriale Aktivität. Der Einfluss von Hyperinsulinämie und postprandialer Insulinsekretion auf kardia...

Fragestellung: Der vermehrten Verfügbarkeit von Ketonkörpern wird eine kardioprotektive Wirkung bei Diabetes Mellitus Typ 2 zugeschrieben. Die hochauflösende Respirometrie (HRR) wurde bisher vor allem zur Bestimmung der Mitochondrienfunktion mittels längerkettigen Fettsäuren und Substraten des Citratzyklus angewendet, nicht jedoch zur Respirations...

Background Myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are hyperirritable areas in the fascia of the affected muscle, possibly related to mitochondrial impairment. They can result in pain and hypoxic areas within the muscle. This pilot study established a minimally invasive biopsy technique to obtain high-quality MTrP tissue samples to evaluate mitochondrial...

It was the Summer Olympic Games 1968 held in Mexico City (2,300 m) that required scientists and coaches to cope with the expected decline of performance in endurance athletes and to establish optimal preparation programs for competing at altitude. From that period until now many different recommendations for altitude acclimatization in advance of a...

Aims Impaired lung function associates with deterioration of glycemic control and diabetes-related oxidative stress in long-standing type 2 diabetes. We hypothesized that recent-onset type 2 diabetes patients exhibit abnormal pulmonary function when compared to glucose-tolerant controls and that the frequencies of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (S...

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a significant comorbidity of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of restrictive lung disease (RLD) and ILD in patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: Forty-eight nondiabetics, 68 patients with prediabetes, 29 newly diagnosed T...

Insulin levels might affect the integrity of musculoskeletal structures. We hypothesized that in type 2 diabetes patients (T2D) with arthritis musculoskeletal impairment is associated with insulin secretion. This analysis of the German Diabetes Study comprised T2D with (T2D+A (n[m/f]=12[4/8], age 63±9 years, BMI 34.8±7.2 kg/m2) or without arthritis...

High intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) content associates negatively with insulin sensitivity (IS) in insulin resistant, but not in endurance-trained humans. It has been hypothesized that different cellular distribution of bioactive lipids such as diacylglycerols (DAG) and ceramides (CER) could interfere with insulin action and underlie this “athlete’s...

High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a time-efficient training approach to stimulate biogenesis in healthy populations. We hypothesized that HIIT would increase skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity due to improved muscle mitochondrial function in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients and age- and BMI-matched controls (CON). We examined 18 sedentary m...

Regular physical activity is a key element of lifestyle recommendations for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), yet adherence to physical activity (PA) and its association with insulin sensitivity in newly diagnosed T2D is less known. This study assessed PA behavior during the first year after diagnosis and 5 years later by the validated Baecke qu...

Live high – train low (LHTL) using hypobaric hypoxia was previously found to improve sea-level endurance performance in well-trained individuals, however confirmatory controlled data in athletes are lacking. Here we test the hypothesis that natural-altitude LHTL improves aerobic performance in cross-country skiers, in conjunction with expansion of...

Purpose of Review Oxidative stress describes an imbalance between production and degradation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can damage macromolecules. However, ROS may also serve as signaling molecules activating cellular pathways involved in cell proliferation and adaptation. This review describes alterations in metabolic diseases includi...

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is rapidly increasing, and effective strategies to manage and prevent this disease are urgently needed. Resistance training (RT) promotes health benefits through increased skeletal muscle mass and qualitative adaptations, such as enhanced glucose transport and mitochondrial oxidative capacity. In particular,...

To the Editor We read with interest the Original Investigation in a recent issue of JAMA Internal Medicine by Zhang et al¹ who conducted a large, long-term randomized clinical trial to study the effects of moderate and vigorous exercise on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The authors conclude that moderate and vigorous exercise programs ha...

Hypophosphatemia can lead to muscle weakness and respiratory and heart failure, but the mechanism is unknown. To address this question, we noninvasively assessed rates of muscle ATP synthesis in hypophosphatemic mice by using in vivo saturation transfer [(31)P]-magnetic resonance spectroscopy. By using this approach, we found that basal and insulin...

Reducing the expression of the Indy (I'm Not Dead Yet) gene in lower organisms extends life span by mechanisms resembling caloric restriction. Similarly, deletion of the mammalian homolog, mIndy (Slc13a5), encoding for a plasma membrane tricarboxylate transporter, protects from aging- and diet-induced adiposity and insulin resistance in mice. The o...

Metabolic disturbances in white adipose tissue in obese individuals contribute to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Impaired insulin action in adipocytes is associated with elevated lipolysis and increased free fatty acids leading to ectopic fat deposition in liver and skeletal muscle. Chronic a...